Alex de Mora is a London-based director, whose work is punctuated by a bold, colourful, and raw aesthetic. Working across portraiture, fashion and documentary, he is inspired by the characters he shoots. Whether conceptualising in-studio or working on location, bringing out the subject’s personality is the key to what makes Alex’s work tick. Growing up playing drums in punk rock bands, Alex's roots are deeply set in music and his body of work is a diverse and vibrant social commentary of contemporary culture.

In October 2019, Alex de Mora travelled to Mongolia on a self-funded trip to document the city of Ulaanbaatar and its undiscovered hip-hop scene.

This unique cultural insight into the city, music, and the people of Ulaanbaatar has been brought to life with a book and short film.

Mongolian hip-hop emerged in the mid 1990’s not long after the fall of Communism. As MTV and US Hip Hop made its way into Ulaanbaatar, its citizens shared mixtapes, and were inspired by acts such as 2Pac, Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan. “Straight Outta Ulaanbaatar” introduces us to Mongolian rappers young and old, as well as the people and the atmosphere of the city itself.

The story documents local characters, up and coming rap artists, b-boys and record store owners to get under the skin of the Mongolian hip-hop scene.

In 2024, de Mora follows a new generation of Greek hip hop artists changing the face of modern Athens for short film The Hive. Shot in and around Kypseli in central Athens – which translates as beehive – the neighborhood, and its community, become a metaphor for the swarm of creative energy surging within the Greek capital.

Centering a fast-emerging scene that embraces a melting pot of global influences, The Hive engages with Negros Tou Moria, Kareem Kalokoh, ATH Kids, and Moose among other artists, connecting through music and collective culture against the challenges of modern Greek identity, diversity and sociopolitical issues.