Last Wednesday saw the opening for my good friend Hassan Hajjaj’s latest images – My Rock Stars Vol. 1  – at The Third Line in Bahrain. This time round Hassan’s lens pays tribute to tradition African portraiture of photographers like Seydou Keita  and homes in on the musicians, performers, unsung artists and personal inspirations that currently inform and help shape his cultural world-view.  The artists and images included here give us and idea of where Hassan’s pre-occuptions lie and as ever his mixed media presentations, which highlight his passion for style and pattern, typically resonate with a brilliant array of colour.

Let’s hope he brings the show to London in the Autumn and Hassan and I can have a little “ancient to future” reasoning.

Above: Hindi Zahra

PS: You can find Hassan’s shop at Arnold Circus end of Calvert Avenue in Shoreditch, East London… it’s got a double fronted shop window and wares that are obviously his!

Above: Keziah Jones + Man – Belly Dancer