Maen Hammad's Photography Documents Palestinian Resilience Through Skateboarding and Prisoner Releases

Maen Hammad, a Palestinian American photographer, uses his camera to document life under occupation, focusing on skateboarding subcultures and prisoner release gatherings in the West Bank. Born in Jerusalem, he lived in Detroit before returning to Palestine in 2014, eventually settling there permanently in 2024. His work captures the absurdity of daily life under surveillance and occupation, challenging stereotypical representations of the region. Hammad's photobook 'Landing', published by Huwawa Books, features disorienting layouts that require readers to turn pages around for closer scrutiny. The project began when protests in Sheikh Jarrah in 2020 shifted his focus from skateboarding to resistance movements. He documents prisoner releases as an obligation to preserve these moments for future generations, describing the camera as both a violent instrument and a tool for care. Nominated by Mohamed Somji and Rehab Eldalil, Hammad was featured in British Journal of Photography's 2025 Ones to Watch list, recognized for blending personal storytelling with sharp social critique.