Mohamed Hassan
We are delighted to share that photographer Mohamed Hassan has been selected to create new work that will have a permanent home in Oriel Myrddin Gallery, upon reopening this autumn. Ahead of Mohamed beginning work on his commission, Threads of Belonging, we caught up with him to talk about his journey into photography, his creative process, and what he hopes to explore through this project.
Croeso Mohamed! We’re so excited to have you working on this commission. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into photography?
I first became interested in photography as a child, growing up in a household where my father was a passionate photographer with his own darkroom. He introduced me to cinema and the magic of storytelling through images, but photography wasn’t something I could pursue at the time due to family circumstances. It wasn’t until I turned 30 that I finally picked up a camera and started exploring it for myself.
For me, photography is deeply personal, it's a way to navigate questions of identity, belonging, and memory. My work often focuses on migration and diaspora, particularly in the context of Wales and my Egyptian heritage. I’m drawn to the in-between spaces where cultures meet, where histories intertwine, and where personal and collective narratives shape who we are.
This project, Threads of Belonging, is an extension of that exploration, and I can't wait to bring it to life with the communities and landscapes that make Wales such a rich and evolving place.
Your own journey has taken you from Alexandria to rural Wales, how has that experience shaped the way you think about identity and belonging?
Moving from Alexandria to rural Wales has been a journey of contrasts. Between city and countryside, between a place deeply familiar and one I had to learn to understand. That shift has shaped how I see identity and belonging, not as fixed things but as fluid, layered experiences that evolve with time, place, and relationships.
Can you tell us about your process? What’s the starting point for a new project, and how do you bring everything together?
My process always begins with listening, whether it’s to people, places, or even the silences in between. I see photography as a collaborative act, especially when working on themes of identity and migration. The starting point for a new project is usually a question or a feeling, something unresolved that I want to explore visually.
Visually, I combine different elements: portraits that capture the essence of a person in their environment, landscapes that hold memory and meaning, and still-life images that act as metaphors for belonging. I often work with natural light and a quiet, observational approach, allowing moments to unfold organically.
Collaboration has been an important part of your work for some time. How do you approach working with people to create images, and has a sitter ever influenced the final shot in ways you didn’t expect?
Collaboration is at the heart of my work, especially when exploring themes of identity and migration. I see portraiture as a conversation rather than a one-sided act of taking an image. It’s about creating a space where the sitter feels seen, heard, and able to bring their own presence into the process.
I approach each portrait session with openness, often starting with long conversations before even picking up the camera. I want to understand the person’s story, their relationship to place, and how they see themselves. This helps shape the final image in ways that feel authentic rather than imposed.
The title ‘Threads of Belonging’ suggests multiple stories woven together. As the project takes shape, what kinds of images or moments do you think will be central to it?
Threads of Belonging is very much about the interwoven nature of identity, so I imagine the project will be shaped by images that reflect both personal and collective narratives—portraits, landscapes, and symbolic still lives that speak to movement, memory, and belonging.
Landscapes will also play a key role, not just as backdrops but as characters in their own right. I’m drawn to places that hold history, places of transition—borders, coastlines, pathways. These spaces often carry echoes of movement and migration, shaping the way we see ourselves in relation to the land.
I want the project to feel layered, like a tapestry of voices and experiences coming together. Some stories will be bold and direct, others quiet and subtle, but all will contribute to a broader conversation about belonging in contemporary Wales.
Your work is already held in some incredible collections. Is there a particular moment in your career so far that stands out to you?
A surreal moment for me was exhibiting right alongside an Irving Penn photograph.
In the autumn of 2014, while on a trip to Venice, I visited Resonance at the Palazzo Grassi, a retrospective of Penn’s incredible work and career. At the time, I had grown up around photography, recently picked up a camera again, and was in the first year of my degree, still experimenting and finding my voice.
That exhibition was a lightbulb moment. It opened my eyes to the true artistic power of images, especially printmaking, it was incredible to see those works up close.
Back then, I could never have imagined that eight years later, I’d have the good fortune to be exhibiting right alongside an Irving Penn photograph. It’s a tremendous honour.
And publish my first Photo-book with 3 publishers from Spain - Ediciones Posibles, Phree and Editorial RM.
https://fundacionpsv.org/en/mohamed-hassan-wins-the-iv-star-photobook-dummy-award/
And finally, what’s next for you? Do you have any dream projects or places you’d love to photograph?
Right now, I’m focused on Threads of Belonging and seeing how it unfolds, but I’m always thinking about what’s next, one of my dreams is to go to Japan and create a strong body of work as I'm fascinated with Japanese art and cinema.