Abdelhamid Serghini is one of those who look at the world differently, always searching for a new adventure to get out of their comfort zone. The 31-year-old man has been living in Doha, Qatar, for nearly a year and a half, working for Al Kass Sports TV Channel as a 3D graphic designer.
Born in Agadir, the artist grew up in Ouled Teïma (a small town between Agadir and Taroudant) because of his father's work in the agricultural sector. Brother of five siblings, he is very attached to his family and origins. «I used to visit my grandparents' house a lot. I spent summers there. I grew up in a wild environment,» Abdelhamid Serghini told Yabiladi.
After graduating high school, the young man had to fight to make a carreer in art. He had first to convince his family, which was worried about whether the young man «will be able to make a living out» of his passion. «It was something abstract,» said the latter.
A hard worker
In his twenties, Abdelhamid Serghini arrived in Casablanca to study at the Ecole technique des arts plastiques (ETAP). «My parents made a lot of sacrifices so I can come to Casablanca,» he added. Once in the big city, he decided to do an internship at the end of his second year. «I did not take a break that year and I started an internship at Sigma Technologies (a production company),» recalled the 3D designer.
His internship period ended, but his hard work was taken seriously by the company which offered him a part-time job. Sigma has even suggested to pay for his studies' expences. «School helped me a lot, especially Simo Slaoui, pedagogical director at ETAP. He encouraged me and allowed me to attend third year classes even though I was not doing great», he added.
After graduation, Abdelhamid Serghini's journey with Sigma started and it lasted for three more years before he decided to leave for Mammoth Studio, where he worked for four years.
«I wanted to do something different. I felt that in Morocco, things were repeated. When I thought about it, I had two offers, one in Washington and one in Doha. Since the US one was taking too long, I had to opt for Al Kass Sports Channel.»
Abdelhamid Serghini loves his new life in the small Qatari country. Still, he misses his family and roots : «Since I'm abroad, I have a dilemma : do I return to Morocco? Or travel ? Each time, I have this urge to go to a new place to take pictures and tell stories,» he explained.
A Globetrotter
The 30-year-old likes to travel alone, visiting exotic countries. His passion for photography led him to look for atypical landscapes, to climb mountains and to discover cultures that are opposed to the Moroccan one. He has already visited 11 countries scattered around the world. The first trip he made was to South Korea and the last one was to Argentina.
«When I choose a country, it's because I have a connection with it, through someone,» adds the photographer. «I went to Nepal. It was different, I did not know anyone. It was more for the landscapes that I did that. At the same time, I am fascinated by the Himalayas so I absolutely wanted to see it with my own eyes. There, I met an Argentinean friend who made me want to go to his country.»
Abdelhamid Serghini has visited the greatest peaks in the world : Everest in Nepal, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Aconcagua in Argentina, the biggest mountain in Latin America. His dream is to come back there and be able to climb these peaks.
«Wherever you go in the world, people stay simple. They welcome you without having to know who you are. There is no discrimination, no racism, nothing.»
The photography appreciates the moments that he lived on a daily basis. «When I went to southern Morocco, I did portraits of my family, and my grandparents. I started taking pictures of my family. I was very interested in people's features and faces. I was influenced by my father, who had a film camera and took a lot of pictures,» said the artist. From now on, Abdelhamid Serghini continues to walk his way in the world of graphics and tell stories through the photos he takes during his adventures.