Born and raised in Zaandam, the Netherlands, photographic artist Mounir Raji (b. 1982, NL) remains based in his hometown. With a background in sports marketing, he first turned to photography in his mid twenties. Alongside an extensive catalogue of assignments for a host of creative clients, Raji’s personal work often draws on his heritage, spanning key questions of migration, absence and diasporic identity. The son of first-generation Moroccan immigrants who settled in the Netherlands in the 1960s, Raji’s Dreamland project grasps at his roots from afar, shaping an idealised visual homage to his ancestral homeland – steeped in nostalgia and golden sunlight.

Elsewhere, Raji’s Yallah project follows a succession of motorcycle journeys through the frenetic streets of Marrakech, inviting contemplation by bringing each one to a momentary standstill. Shot from the rooftop of a family home, these everyday trips reflect the hustle and industry of local life. More recently, his Perfect Day series – set aboard a Caribbean cruise ship – probes at key tensions of the tourism industry, where the lure of relaxation, indulgence and 24-hour comfort belies the meticulous stagecraft that shapes these packaged experiences, as well as obfuscating the sector’s environmental implications.

A graduate of Amsterdam FOTOfactory, Raji’s work has been exhibited at a range of institutions in the Netherlands, including Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Unseen Amsterdam, BredaPhoto Festival, Galerie Caroline O’Breen and Stevenson Gallery. Commissioned by the Rijksmuseum, his Perfect Day project was shown there in late 2023. That same year, Dreamland was self-published in book form, whilst a parallel documentary film by Suzanne Koopstra charted the development of the project. Raji has given artist talks at several museums, including Foam, the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum Breda. His images have featured in numerous publications, both domestically and internationally. He is represented by both Galerie Caroline O’Breen and Visionary Agency.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

The Guardian, De Standaard, Het Parool, De Volkskrant, GQ Middle East, Nataal, NRC, De Groene Amsterdammer, Canvas Magazine, FT Weekend Magazine

SELECTED CLIENTS:

Adidas, Atelier Munro, Daily Paper, Elle, G-Star, Mastoor, Nike, VanMoof, Vogue