The powerful portrait of an exotic dancer as a mother

(CNN) --

When Hajar Benjida started photographing exotic dancers from the Atlanta area, she didn't want to get the typical images of them on stage.

Instead, he photographed many of them in her homes, such as Cleo, who had recently given birth to a boy named Andy.

One of Benjida's most striking images is composed as a modern version of "Madonna and Child" (or "Madonna"), in which the then-new mother cradles her son on her lap, looking into the camera.

Her mesh top, a vintage garment by designer Jean Paul Gaultier featuring the image of the Mona Lisa, lifts up just enough for Andy to breastfeed.

"Sometimes people forget that they have family outside of the club," Benjida said during a video chat with CNN.

"They just want to embellish that life, or the performance they saw on stage."

Part of Benjida's series titled "Atlanta Made Us Famous," the portrait celebrates lesser-known figures from the city's famed hip-hop scene, which has been a launchpad for artists from TI and Ludacris to Young Thug and Playboi Carti.

Through the series, the Dutch photographer, who was working in Atlanta at the time, focused her attention on who she believed to be the true makers of the music industry: the exotic dancers from legendary clubs like Magic City.

Cleo and Andy at their house.

(Credit: Hajar Benjida)

"They play a very important role in the current hits that we hear," says Benjida.

"(The songs) are put to the test in the clubs. When these women dance to the melodies ... the audience is blown away," she added.

Exotic dancers –– considered the "celebrities" of Atlanta, according to Lauren Greenfield's 2015 documentary on Magic City–– have the power to make or break a song with the songs they request and their enthusiasm for the music new.

Unreleased, unmixed tracks come straight from the studio to the club and, if they do well, can be propelled straight onto radio stations and ultimately onto the music charts.

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"DJs and dancers are more like A&R," says Diamond, a dancer featured in Greenfield's documentary, referring to record label talent scouts.

"We know what we like to dance and we recognize success when we hear it," he said.

• Leo Sujatovich "The artist who narrates emotions through music"

a single approach

Benjida portrayed women behind the scenes or in their homes with a soft, intimate sensibility.

Instead of going for raw sex appeal or their performances, the dancers often appear relaxed but confident, looking directly at the viewer.

One woman is holding her twins in her lap, while another is lying with her hand resting on her pregnant belly.

Cleo lives in Stone Mountain, a suburb outside of the city, and in 2019 she was commuting to work at different clubs during the week.

Benjida spent the day with her at her house, and though she posed for many pictures, the moment she took the most striking frame was a fluke.

"In the middle of the session, she was breastfeeding her son and I asked her for a photo," says Benjida.

"I didn't even see the photo right away...so I really had to rely on that one shot."

Cleo and Andy at their house a year later.

Credit: Hajar Benjida

But seeing the power of detail –– the similar hairstyles of Cleo and the enigmatic subject of Leonardo's famous portrait, as well as the Renaissance-like composition –– he knew the power of that single frame.

A year later, he returned to Stone Mountain to photograph Cleo and Andy, this time outside their home.

Like many of the images in "Atlanta Made Us Famous," the portrait exudes a sense of confidence, bringing to the fore the women who are the backbone of Atlanta's hip-hop scene.

Cleo holds Andy on his hip, her orange hair matching the toy McLaren sports car next to him.

But here, if you look closely, is another subtle reminder of his motherhood: two matching orange toy cars tucked inside the platforms of her heels.

PhotographyMaternity