Meriem Bennani is an emerging artist who has a keen eye for culture and the hilariously absurd. Her satirical style, drawing from post internet culture, incorporates the languages of Instagram and reality TV, combined with her own unique sense of humor.
Bennani’s popular Instagram account features quirky clips like her series “Fardaous Funjab,” which features a fictional Hijab designer who enthusiastically creates “fun-jabs.” These traditional Muslim head coverings incorporate ridiculous themes like a birthday cake lit with candles, Metallica themed hijabs for music lovers, and waspy Hijabs with a basket to store tennis balls. Though playful, Bennai’s art fearlessly takes on complex subject matter like luxury and globalization.
“A lot of my work is very pop and digestible on the surface and it comes from a place of pleasure, but it’s actually labor-intensive in a way that is almost pathological.”
Bennani’s solo show, Gradual Kingdom, is currently on view at Signal gallery in Brooklyn. The installation includes videos she shot in her home country of Morocco, as well as sculptural elements constructed from sand. Here she seeks to address the global sand crisis that is a result of opulent island construction as seen in Dubai, and the maintenance of upscale beach properties that are subject to erosion. “Morocco is a developing country. It is one of the best economies in Africa, yet there is a lot of work to be done. And this development feels almost counterintuitive to the quality of life. It’s an impossible struggle between enjoyment and progress,” said Bennani on her motivations for the works in Gradual Kingdom.
Bennani’s work is also featured in the Jewish Museum’s current exhibition Unorthodox.
Like this article? Check out Doha-based photographers Christto & Andrew who take on the topics of luxury and consumerism, and other artists who use their work to apply satire to global issues.