Hassan Hajjaj and the fair presence of My Rock Stars
Published on 08/21/2026 at 12:00 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Hassan Hajjaj has built an international reputation with vividly staged portraits that travel easily between museums, fairs and public programs. His ongoing project My Rock Stars exemplifies how a single photographic concept can migrate from London galleries to major music and museum contexts without losing its energy.
My Rock Stars in institutional focus
The project My Rock Stars connects a series of portraits of musicians and cultural figures that Hajjaj stages in patterned interiors and frames, often blending North African visual codes with global pop aesthetics. The images balance a studio-like precision with the atmosphere of street photography.
According to a program note from the Musée de la musique at the Philharmonie de Paris, My Rock Stars will serve as the backbone of a forthcoming exhibition pairing Hajjaj with the electronic collective Acid Arab under the title My Rock Stars, emphasizing his link to contemporary music scenes. Although the exhibition opens later in 2026, the announcement underlines how his photographic language is understood as part of a broader performance and sound context in France.
Biennial-tier circulation and fairs
Over the past decade, Hajjaj’s work has circulated through biennial-level formats and fair-adjacent exhibitions, often via projects that bridge photography, design and fashion. His My Rockstars portraits, for example, have appeared in curated presentations that align with contemporary African and diasporic art programs at major institutions and fairs, where they stand alongside painting, installation and video.
Listings compiled by specialist platforms tracking exhibition histories show that by mid-2026 he was simultaneously present in London, Saint-Tropez and La Jolla in group and solo contexts, a pattern typical for artists who operate continuously between institutional shows and market-oriented presentations. This kind of multi-venue presence is often mirrored at fairs, where galleries install selected works from the same series within themed booths or curated sections focusing on photography and lens-based practices.
Exhibitions, auctions and collections in overview
For more reporting on Hassan Hajjaj’s shows, market appearances and institutional projects, the AD HOC NEWS archive aggregates recent coverage across exhibitions, auctions and public collections.
The work core and visual language
Hajjaj’s practice spans photography, furniture, film and installation, yet the core remains his staged portraits set within patterned, branded frames. Series such as Kesh Angels, with its motorcycle-riding women in djellabas, and My Rock Stars foreground everyday style as a form of self-authored visibility.
Where the artist stands now
On balance, Hajjaj’s position is that of a mid-career artist whose lens-based work and design-inflected installations are firmly embedded in international exhibition circuits, with a particular resonance in programs that address music, fashion and diasporic urban cultures.
Key facts on Hassan Hajjaj
- Artist: Hassan Hajjaj
- Medium / Genre: Photography and installation (portrait-based)
- Born: 1961, Larache, Morocco
- Place(s) of practice: Studio practice between London and Marrakech
- Active since: late 1980s, with broader institutional visibility from the 2000s
- Key work groups: Kesh Angels, My Rock Stars, La Salle de Gym des Femmes Arabes, Aïcha’s Angels
- Current/last exhibition: La Salle de Gym des Femmes Arabes, Aga Khan Museum Park, Toronto, September 13, 2025 – May 31, 2026
- Major collections: Studio Museum in Harlem (New York), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum
- Awards: Middle East Now Award for Best Film (for an early film project), plus recognition through major institutional solo exhibitions
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Hassan Hajjaj
Where can I see works by Hassan Hajjaj in public collections?
Works by Hajjaj, including pieces from series such as Kesh Angels, are held by institutions like the Studio Museum in Harlem, where a work such as Romancia forms part of the Peggy Cooper Cafritz bequest.
What defines the visual style of the series My Rock Stars?
The series combines patterned backdrops, branded frames and portraits of musicians and cultural figures, creating a hybrid of fashion photography, studio portraiture and street culture references that emphasize diasporic identities and everyday glamour.
How does Hassan Hajjaj connect photography and design in his exhibitions?
In many shows, Hajjaj installs his photographs alongside custom furniture, textiles and café-style interiors, turning the exhibition space into an immersive environment that reflects the social settings from which his images emerge.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
