Photo by Afagh Morrowatian, courtesy of Rajae El Mouhandiz
“An old African saying says that until the Lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter,” Rajae El Mouhandiz explained to Hayat. El Mouhandiz is an artist, part of a movement to diversify and open up art and the creative sphere.
Nominated as one of 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world eleven years in a row, El Mouhandiz has used music, filmmaking, theatre, and the curation of exhibitions to advance her voice as a North African and Dutch Muslim woman.
Her short film ¡HOPE!, promotes the acceptance of Muslim women in mass media and society:
Meanwhile, her role as co-curator and participant in the Muslima exhibition, organized by the Global Fund for Women, reveals many of the issues she faces in Dutch and Muslim media as both a North African woman and a Muslim.
Rajae El Mouhandiz: an artist with many hats and a concrete goal
El Mouhandiz’s wandering creative path has led her through music, documentaries, and even museum exhibitions. Her music includes Maghreb pop, soul, and jazz. At the age of 16, she was the first North African woman to be admitted into a Dutch music conservatory. She also became the first Muslim woman to start her own record label in the Netherlands, Truthseeker Records, which later became Kahina Productions.
“My art is driven by the quest to reflect on human experience, cultural expression and emotion,” El Mouhandiz explains. “It’s an artistic journey that requires for me to use layers and various art forms and art spaces/platforms to tell parts of that complex and ever evolving story.”
“Those seeking validation and peace of heart/mind will recognize themselves in my art. And those who might expect stereotypes, or the single story they know from framing in academia or dominant media representation, will experience to see their misinformation to be challenged and their frame altered,” she continues. “Hopefully these expressions can foster dialogue on various topics re; human experience, emotions, values, tradition, the artistic canon, transition and evolution.”
Growing up a “third culture kid”
El Mouhandiz self-identifies as a “third culture kid.” She comes from a Moroccan/Algerian family, raised conservative, although she now identifies as Sufi, and has spent a large portion of her life in the Netherlands.
“We are made from our ancestors prayers and dreams and I believe that the wickedness of painful histories, generational trauma and today’s perpetual struggle are/is soluble in Art,” says El Mouhandiz, musing on the influence of her cultural background in her art. “It’s my responsibility to live up to my ancestors’ prayers and dreams and honour my ancestors struggle and sacrifices.”
El Mouhandiz first became involved with art at the age of four, “as a coping mechanism,” exploring music as well as dance. After entering a Dutch conservatory to pursue the study of classical music, she decided to turn away from classical music. Instead, she turned down a path that allows her more expressive freedom, connected to her roots and ideals.
She began incorporating new features into her work, including theatre and audiovisual elements. Her most recent project: the “Modest Fashion” exhibition (Modest Fashion: an international phenomenon in art & Fashion) at the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam. This project celebrates the global art & fashion movement of women of various faiths and expresses their need for space in artistic spaces and on media platforms. El Mouhandiz concepted and curated the exhibition and invited visual artists and designers from all over the world and various faith background to exhibit their art and designs.
The prolific artist does not see a way for her art to avoid the political – nor does she wish to. “I’m also aware that as we speak, hardship and trauma is happening to people in various places in the world. Art is therefore political and an artist like me can not be a mere entertainer.”
Ellae, music, and more ahead for Rajae El Mouhandiz
El Mouhandiz recently founded Ellae, “a creative impact platform” for both individuals and institutions. Ellae aims to use a multidisciplinary approach for storytelling and awareness, offering women a platform, and not just for artistic endeavors. The NGO promotes research into equity and female representation in the creative industries, empowerment, the creation of safe spaces, and collaboration across disciplines, cultures, etc.
Meanwhile, Ellae’s founder also has multiple other personal projects underway. In the works, she has plans for 6 songs and an Algerian cover done with Sinfonia Rotterdam, a potential live tour in Morocco (pandemic permitting), and a community theatre project in the US.
Keep up with El Mouhadiz’s work here.
