"Princess Hijab knows that L’Oréal and Dark & Lovely have been killing her little by little. With her spray paint and black marker pen, she is out to hijabize advertising. Even Kate Moss is targeted. By day, she wears a white veil, symbol of purity. By night, her black veil is the expression of her vengeful fight for a cause," states Princess Hijab (princesshijab.org) in her manifesto.
What is that cause? In a nutshell, it is to subvert consumer images—especially of women—and to push cultural boundaries.
And few are spared the Princess' black marker and spray paint in her artistic Jihad.
In the online gallery of her "hijabizing" of ad campaigns, lightly clad models in ads for Virgin Music and various clothing companies have been re-dressed by the Princess in veils and chadors (body-length veil), their eyes popping out of face-covering hijabs.
They are striking as much as they are irreverent, and they have caused anger in both Muslim and secular circles.
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Princess Hijab told MENASSAT that her hijab campaigns are not plastered on the streets of Paris as an act of "art for art's sake," but instead represent a part of what she calls "art propositions for a more global idea."
In this global idea, Princess Hijab means she pursues what she calls her "noble cause," or her "anti-advertising movement" in an attempt to fight today's mainstream and sexist consumerism.
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Who is Princess Hijab?
"I created PH to be connected. I wanted to mix elements from different extractions and cultures, starting from my initial subject: the veiled woman. I believe it's the reason why PH had such an impact. She never let herself be defined by religion nor gender. It was really crucial for me,: she said.
And like other culture jammers like Banksy in the UK, Princess Hijab has chosen to remain anonymous. "I like secrets and it corresponds to something quite intimate to me," she said.
Asked whether she might reveal her identity in the future, she answered, "It's not impossible."
Not surprisingly, Princes Hijab's decision to remain anonymous has caused discussion and debate among bloggers and in online forums.
"Is she a Muslim or not? Or is Princess Hijab perhaps even a man?" are some of the questions being asked.
At one point, there was even talk about whether the Princess' first black and white hijab ad, which depicts a veiled woman with "Hijab Ad" written below it, was indeed a self-portrait of the artist.
Prince Habib's guerrilla street art has so far been featured at several art exhibitions, including one in Norway recently.
But the young artist stresses that it took a while for people to accept her alternative art, saying her hijab ads and projects were perceived quite negatively at first.
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Source: Menassat (English), h/t Advice Goddess
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