© Hasan & Husain Essop, Feeding Scheme, from the series Halaal Art, 2009
© Hasan & Husain Essop, Cape Town (South Africa), from the series Halaal Art, 2009
“Our work questions global and local hegemonies. We explore the influence of Western popular culture and the distorting effects it has on existing religions and cultures. Internal conflicts are expressed through performance.
Most importantly, our work originates from a history that is confined to a specific area, a faith that is universally shared and a critical understanding of the media and modern technology.
As twin brothers we share an identity, a personality and a family. This unique bond that we share enables us to confront and address similarities and differences within a personal and a global context and open up debate around religious, cultural and social correspondences and conflicts.’ (August 2008)
On using their own image in their works: ‘This is our experience. We don’t want to make an objective statement. We don’t want to put words in other people’s mouths. This is how we see the clash between east and west, which exists simultaneously in our bodies. It’s our struggle’. (Hasan Essop, in conversation with Yazeed Kamaldien)”
More of Hasan & Hussain’s work can be seen here
N I H I L S E N T I M E N T A L G I A, 