An Intimate Perspective: The Work of a Palestinian-American Photographer

**Art Review: Dean Majd’s “Hard Feelings”**

In “Hard Feelings,” photographer Dean Majd presents a poignant exploration of youth culture, masculinity, and personal loss at the Camera Club of New York’s BAXTER ST. The exhibition spans a decade-long journey following the death of Majd’s childhood friend, James. The show centers around James’s community of skateboarders and graffiti artists, capturing both the vibrancy and vulnerabilities within their world.

The collection of images highlights the continuity of life and death, transforming painful memories into glimmers of light. Majd immersed himself in the lives of James’s friends in Queens, documenting their communal experiences. The photographs reflect on the exhilaration and peril within skateboarding and graffiti circles, like in “wiza bombing” (2021), where flashing cop lights depict the danger lurking in their nocturnal lifestyle. “Coffee table at 21-41” (2017) offers a glimpse into the aftermath of a party, hinting at issues of substance abuse.

Majd delves into the complexities of performing masculinity, revealing its pressures and costs. In “break bad (freddy flexing)” (2021), a young man’s display of strength subtly unveils his fragility, while the gentleness in his eyes suggests true, underlying resilience. Meanwhile, “ivan crying in my bedroom” (2021) shows a typically masculine figure in tears, juxtaposed with “rissa (battered)” (2021). This portrait of a woman with a black eye calls attention to the systemic violence women face, especially as men bottle up their emotions.

Majd subtly weaves his Palestinian American heritage through the exhibition. “Dallas (phoenix ash)” (2021) features an Egyptian man reflecting in the mirror under a yellow-orange glow, symbolizing state violence’s impact on Arab communities and men’s internalized conflict. This sense of identity and systemic critique runs throughout the show.

“Hard Feelings” is deeply personal, crafted through trust and genuine connections Majd built over years. At the exhibition opening, friends honored him with bouquets placed beneath a dedication to Suba, a dear friend lost to an overdose in 2020. As the flowers wilted, the warmth of Suba’s smile in his portrait remained, a testament to the enduring presence of those we’ve lost.

Dean Majd’s “Hard Feelings” is on display at BAXTER ST at the Camera Club of New York until April 8, curated by Marley Trigg Stewart.