When was the last time you saw an image that genuinely rattled something inside you—not just with beauty, but with a kind of defiance? Zelzal, the debut photo book by Dubai-based Moroccan-French photographer Yassine Taha, is that kind of jolt. “Zelzal means earthquake in Arabic. I chose that name because I wanted something that felt disruptive and unfiltered,” Taha tells MILLE. “It’s not just about chaos it’s about movement, rupture, and energy.” And that’s exactly what this book is: a cultural tremor printed in 130 pages, an aftershock from the margins that doesn’t wait for permission.
Forget polished “representation” projects or tidy diaspora narratives packaged neatly for the Western gaze. Zelzal is a printed aftershock—a curated burst of visual chaos that gives the mic back to those who’ve been talked over for far too long. Launching this April at Abu Dhabi’s BRED Festival—taking place from April 23 to 27— the biannual publication isn’t interested in approval.
Taha has spent years straddling different creative worlds—from fashion shoots in Paris to art projects in Morocco and the Middle East. But the frustration was always the same: mainstream Arab media was too clean-cut, too safe, while Western portrayals of Arab identity were often flattened into stereotypes. So he built his own space. “I needed a space that could carry both the grit and the grace of who we are. A space that wasn’t begging to be included but building its own lane.” Zelzal is that space.
The roster of contributors reads like a visual underground hall of fame: Zineb Koutten from Morocco, Tanya Traboulsi from Lebanon, Omar Sha3 out of Jordan, Algerian Rahim Rabia, and UAE-based Gibsterg, to name just a few. Some are friends, others are internet finds, all of them united by a kind of creative urgency. The only requirement? “If your work feels honest, urgent, and slightly unhinged, it belongs here,” Taha says.
And the work is, in every sense, unhinged—in the best way. One spread might show a fashion editorial shot in Barbès, another a boy and his grandmother in Al Ain. There’s a photo of the Boujloud ritual in Morocco, goat’s head and all, paired with a plastic cartoon backpack that feels both deeply personal and weirdly universal. In another, an abandoned airplane, slowly reclaimed by nature, becomes a metaphor for exile, return, and memory. There are no tidy captions here, no spoon-fed symbolism. Just frames that buzz with contradiction, culture, and a refusal to be reduced.
The beauty of Zelzal lies in its contradictions. “Reclaiming identity isn’t about branding it, it’s about living it unapologetically, even when it doesn’t fit in the Western gaze or the polished aesthetic of mainstream Arab media,” shares the photographer. That friction is visible in every frame—faith alongside rebellion, nostalgia in the middle of chaos. And crucially, nothing feels watered down. “Seeing all these different artists speak a common visual language without being asked to dilute who they are” is, for Taha, one of the most satisfying parts of the project.
Designed in collaboration with close friend and graphic designer Daoud Tabibzada, the layout doesn’t force structure onto the content. Instead, it offers “a lot of visual breathing room. No filler, no fluff,” as Taha puts it.
So, what’s the takeaway beyond the images? Taha doesn’t want you to walk away feeling inspired—he wants to shift your foundation. “I hope Arab readers see themselves in ways they haven’t before. Complex, contradictory, and powerful. And for non-Arab readers: I hope Zelzal disrupts their assumptions. This isn’t a ‘representation’ project. It’s not here to make you feel comfortable. It’s here to shift the ground beneath you the way only an earthquake can.”
Zelzal is available for pre-order now at zelzal.carrd.co, with worldwide shipping. But if you’re itching for a glimpse inside, Taha’s given us six exclusive images—breaking down the stories behind his favorite shots.
I love this photo because Tililla and I had been talking for over five years before finally meeting and when we did, it was perfect timing. The connection was instant, all vibes and creative flow. She’s exactly the kind of model I love working with: fully present, deeply involved in the creative process, and bringing her own vision to the table. Shot by Yassine Taha
I chose this photo because we made it happen as a team, with the new family I’ve found in Dubai. There’s something powerful about creating work that feels this personal in a city that’s still new to me. Everyone brought their own energy, and it shows. It’s simple, quiet, but full of meaning, just like the best kind of street fashion. Shot by Moz
This photo shows a piece of tradition from back home in Morocco, Boujloud. I love the paradox here: the plastic kid’s bag and the goat’s head. It’s playful and unsettling at the same time, just like the world we come from. Nothing is ever just one thing. That tension, that contrast, is exactly what I want to show with Zelzal. Shot by Abderrahmane Ajja
This photo shows the creative energy coming out of places the world doesn’t usually pay attention to. It’s a reminder that some of the rawest, most original culture is born in the margins. The mix of faces, styles, and movement—there’s a kind of chaos and rhythm in this image that you can’t stage. It’s a melting pot, and the energy is unmatched. Shot by Hamza Rochdi
I love how nature always takes back what’s hers. This photo carries so much symbolism—the plane is what we use to leave, and sometimes to come back. It speaks to exile, return, and everything in between. The fact that it’s abandoned, slowly being reclaimed by the earth, says a lot about how time moves, how memory fades, but also how the land never forgets. Shot by Rosario Nandjui
