Meet Hassan Abdul-Wahid | Director of Photography, Photographer, Skate Wax maker, and Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hassan Abdul-Wahid and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hassan, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I’ve been a skateboarder for thirty-seven years and while I am not as good as I probably should be after all of that time I have lasted all that time. I think I’ve made it this far skateboarding because I understood at an early age that there was no fun to be had without risk and that death and injury and pain were going to find you no matter what so you might as well give Life your all. I am not a danger-junkie or foolhardy and I am aware of my limits. I look at risk as an inevitability that needs to be dealt with and managed. I learned from skateboarding that you will take risks whether you want to or not and ultimately you are in charge of controlling your reaction to risk. I wouldn’t be where I am in the Camera Department without taking a risk on myself and my art. I would never have tried to launch a skatewax company if I were afraid of risking my pride and my money on a new venture. There are so many cheesy pseudo-spiritual quotes and memes about risks and the unknown but I like to boil it down to the feeling I have when I’m looking at the other side of a halfpipe- you know you won’t get hurt if you don’t drop in but you also know it won’t be fun if you don’t drop in. Risk is just part of the price of fun and personal growth and Life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m not sure what sets me apart from other artists and, to be honest, I don’t care. I’ve found that the less I’m concerned with other people and what they may or may not think about me the happier and more creative I find myself. Other people’s journeys are fascinating and educational and inspiring but ultimately have no bearing on my practice. I know that the only reason I am at where I’m at right now professionally is because I’ve thought long and hard about what I’m doing and why I’m doing what I do. That practice has to exist separately from what other people are doing otherwise I find myself drifting off into what other people are making. The hardest part about being in the creative space professionally is overcoming your own insecurities about what you’re doing. It’s far too easy to get bogged down in comparing your work to other people’s work and feeling like your work isn’t good enough. The surface veneer of social media success has derailed me on several occasions. The only way to get around any of the distractions and insecurities, in my opinion, is to just go out with the intention of making whatever it is that is in your mind’s eye. I have ideas come out of my subconscious or from being inspired by real life events and I know that if I don’t just go and make them happen I will not be happy. I try to concentrate on that desire for artistic release as I know it leads to my personal version of Nirvana. It sounds selfish and isolationist but that is how I keep the inner demons at bay.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a native Angeleno my take on the city is far more intimate than the usual tourist attractions. If you gave me a week I would take you surfing at some gem spots along the coast, skateboarding at night along the spots of Wilshire Boulevard, and drinking at some of the more questionable drinking establishments in Downtown LA and Koreatown (and all points West, East, North, and South). My Los Angeles is all of LA County so we’d have to eat like kings at several different taco trucks as well as all of the amazing restaurants in Monterey Park. Tommy’s chili covered burgers are a late night must. A gallery crawl in Chinatown and a visit to Band of Voices Gallery on Adams would just have to happen because what is a city without art? Speaking of art we’d of course have to sneak into the LA River east of downtown and take a bike tour of all of the insane graffiti on the riverbanks and freeway overpasses. One of the greatest treats you can give yourself when you visit LA is to get up into the foothills and watch the sunset over downtown Los Angeles and then plunge back downhill on skateboards or bicycles in pursuit of some tasty treats. For me, Los Angeles is a never ending series of skate spots, art galleries, and hole in the wall restaurants that make everything else wrong about this city bearable. You want my tour of LA? Bring a healthy appetite, a camera, and your bike or skateboard as we are going to see this city from eye level. We’re going to see the real Los Angeles in all of her beauty and complexity from the foothills to the sea.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be anywhere without the love and support of my wife Melah and my children, Ani and Jaya. That they put up with my creative fugues and insecurities astounds me every day. They inspire me and help me realize my dreams as I help them realize there’s.

My immediate family has also been a wellspring of advice and support. My siblings, Tarik Abdul-Wahid and Yasmin Dunn, are both critics, fans, co-conspirators, and therapists and I owe them for so much of what has gone right in my life. My parents, Salah and Sharifa Abdul-Wahid, may have had a small part to play in all of this as well.

I also have to acknowledge the absolutely invaluable friendship and rock solid advice I’ve received over the years from several friends/collaborators such as Jason Zakrzewski, Eric Zimmerman, Lisa Mir, Pete Kim, Reid Gilchrist, Sarah Scott, and Wei-En Chang. The list is actually far longer than this but I’m fairly certain there isn’t enough space to list everyone. I’ve basically learned so much from everyone I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and learning with and just being around.

Website: hassandirectorofphotography.com & dickcheeseskatewax.bigcartel.com

Instagram: @hassandirectorofphotography