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Rabat – Moroccan photographer Yassine Alaoui Ismaili is among five photographers that the New York Times recommend its readers follow on Instagram.
Working under his artist name “Yoriyas,” Alaoui is a Casablanca native whose work is inspired by the streets of Morocco’s biggest city.
The May 19 New York Times article “Five Artists to Follow on Instagram Now,” by Siddhartha Mitter, featured the Moroccan artist as “a builder of the bubbling Moroccan photo scene.”
Yoriyas draws inspiration for his work from his hip-hop and break dance background, and Casablanca street life. Following a serious knee injury during an international breakdance competition, Alaoui’s dance career halted, giving birth to his new artistic orientation of photography.
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Alaoui’s Moroccan culture-based blend of urbanism and street dancing opened doors for international recognition. Some of the world’s most popular art museums are exhibiting his work, including the Hermes Foundation in Paris, 836m Gallery in San Francisco, and the HistoryMiami Museum.
He recently curated the inaugural exhibition of Morocco’s National Museum of Photography, “Sourtna,” in the capital city of Rabat.
The Moroccan artist’s photographs have been featured in the New York Times, National Geographic, the Guardian, and the Washington Post.
To productively engage Moroccan artists stuck at home during lockdown, Alaoui helped organize a weekly photography competition for amateurs and professionals, through his Instagram account.
Among Alaoui’s accolades are the 2019 “Les Amis de l’Institut du Monde Arabe” (Friends of the Institute of the Arab World) Prize for Contemporary Arab Creation and PhotoBasel’s 2018 CAP Prize for Contemporary African Photography.
