SINCE HE WAS A CHILD, Habib Hajallie has been drawing with ballpoint pens and remembers being constantly reprimanded – “Habib!” – for drawing all over his textbooks when he was at school. Inexpensive, unassuming and readily available, the humble biro pen is unlike other fine art instruments and, with the medium, he wants to break down barriers of entry for people that may not usually be interested in art. After all, drawing with a pen is something that everyone has access to; his aim is simply to try to elevate the scope of what one may think is possible with a simple pen.
Having been born in Bermondsey, southeast London, Habib moved to Kent with his family when he was six years old. The first generation of his family to be born in England – his older siblings and parents are from Freetown, Sierra Leone – he’s aware of how fortunate he is
