HOOYO

Hooyo, meaning “mother” in Somali, celebrates his love for his mother, his intimate relationship with his culture and its religion, and the visual power of headscarves.

In 2018, the artist travelled to Somalia to visit his grandparents, when his mother bought some beautiful fabrics. Inspired by their colours and patterns, Rami Hara asked his mother: “if you had to express your personality with fabrics, which one would you choose?”. The veils she chose marked the birth of Hooyo.

Rami Hara translates his personal history into images to deconstruct systemic biases. Headscarves have played an important role in his life, both through his education and his religion. Thanks to his mother, sisters and friends, Rami Hara was made acutely aware of the struggles and injustices that impact black women wearing a veil. With this series, he wants to highlight the beautiful side of faith, the veil, and the people who wear it, as well as deconstructs the negative image with which society depicts headscarves.

Inspired by the aesthetics of fashion magazines and advertising, Hooyo catches the eye with bright colours, patterns, jewels and pearls. His models aren’t the focus of his portraits, instead the veils and what they represent are at the heart of the narrative. Rami Hara wants to push society to familiarise itself with what is different by reclaiming its aesthetics.

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Rami Hara is a Belgian Somalian artist, living and working in Brussels. Self-taught photographer, he graduated from the LUCA School of Arts with a masters degree in Visual Arts. Rami Hara never goes anywhere without his camera, ready to capture his surroundings in an instant. Through his lens, he wants to tell stories and tackle various socio-political issues. Humans are at the heart of Rami Hara’s creative process.

Rami Hara’s work brings to light a multicultural cosmopolitan society, enriched by outside contributions. Combining artistic and documentary photography, his work is a testimony to his underlying interest in storytelling. The city is his playground, where he edits his photos in the back of a coffee shop and scour markets for cameras or lenses.