ABOUT THIS WORK

Inspired by the ‘80s classic Coming to America, Malek satirizes the American Dream, rendering its ideological shortcomings palpable, in a series of works that depict a fictional African prince in the capitalist landscape of a Western metropolis.

(B. 1983) Jean Malek is an award-winning director and photographer. His work is influenced by box office and indie movies, fashion, and fine art photography, often blurring the boundaries between fields and genres. Rooted in storytelling, Malek’s approach is driven by irreverence, subversiveness, and eclectic cultural references. His evocative images often push the limits of good taste to create arresting images that comment on social, political, and economic issues. Malek's dystopian art often pulls from the world of cinema, imagining compelling characters that hint at a larger narrative in a single shot. His work is always quintessentially contemporary and larger-than-life.