Princess Hijab: underground resistance
The Paris metro system is under attack - by graffiti artist extraordinaire Princess Hijab, who provocatively adds veils to billboard advertising. Here are some of her best works
Angelique Chrisafis meets Paris's most elusive graffiti artist
Angelique Chrisafis meets Paris's most elusive graffiti artist
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Princess Hijab on the Paris Metro in November 2010Photograph: Richard Pak for the Guardian
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Striking at night with dripping black paint she slaps black Muslim veils on the half-naked airbrushed women, and men, of the metro’s fashion adverts. She calls it “hijabisation”
Photograph: Princess Hijab
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She sees herself as part of a new “grafitti of minorities” reclaiming the streets
Photograph: Princess Hijab
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The work now usually only stays up for 45-minutes to an hour before being ripped down by officials
Photograph: Princess Hijab
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As a result PH has become highly selective, only doing around four to five grafitti “interventions” ia year
Photograph: Princess Hijab
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Each is carefully photographed and has its own afterlife circulating online
Photograph: Princess Hijab
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H&M is one of the artist's favourite targets
Photograph: Princess Hijab
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Of her work, she comments: “If it was only about the burqa ban, my work wouldn’t have a resonance for very long. But I think the burqa ban has given a global visibility to the issue of integration in France”
Photograph: Princess Hijab
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And what is the significance of Islam to her? “The spiritual interests me, but that’s personal, I don’t think it bears on my work. Religion interests me, Muslims interest me and the impact they can have, artistically, aesthetically, in the codes that are all around us, particularly in fashion"
Photograph: Princess Hijab
