Habib Hajallie, a UK-based artist, is known for his masterful ballpoint pen portraits that confront issues of identity, race, and representation. Through his innovative use of antique maps and texts as canvases, Hajallie re-contextualizes historical materials to create a dialogue around figures from ethnically diverse backgrounds often overlooked in traditional British portraiture.
One of his key works, “Sir Frank Bowling” (ballpoint pen on an antique map, 29x23x1 cm), is a portrait of the groundbreaking British artist Sir Frank Bowling, drawn on an 18th-century map of Great Britain. This artwork is a striking example of Hajallie’s ability to blend past and present, using the map’s historical significance as a backdrop to empower contemporary figures. Through his meticulous mark-making with a ballpoint pen, Hajallie celebrates Blackness while challenging preconceived notions of British identity and the socio-political hierarchies rooted in colonial ideologies.
Hajallie’s work has garnered significant recognition, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2023 and winning The UK New Artist of the Year Award 2022 at the Saatchi Gallery. As a member of The Royal Society of British Artists, Hajallie continues to push the boundaries of traditional drawing by merging his Sierra Leonean and Lebanese heritage with his experiences growing up in Southeast London. His portraits, often featuring family members or self-portraits, evoke a powerful immediacy and challenge the viewer’s perceptions of identity in modern Western society.
As a finalist in the category of Drawing for the scan.art Emerging Artist Prize 2024, Hajallie’s work will be displayed at the Finalist Exhibition at Bakerhouse Gallery, Graz, Austria, opening to the public on Friday, October 18th, 18:00. His distinctive approach to portraiture and his exploration of identity through historical and contemporary lenses are sure to captivate audiences.
For more about Habib Hajallie’s artwork and philosophy, visit his website at www.habibhajallie.com or his Profile on scan.art.
For more information about the scan.art Emerging Artist Prize, visit our website www.scan.art/emergingartistprize
