Hassan Kouhen in Rabat: the Moroccan-American painter is presenting a major retrospective at Espace Rivages from 17 September to 6 October 2026. Organised under the patronage of the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad, the exhibition opens on Thursday 17 September at 6:30 p.m. with a preview in the presence of the artist.
Born in Fez in 1955 and based in the United States for many years, Hassan Kouhen is returning to present his work to a Moroccan audience, six years after a first exhibition in the same venue.
Hassan Kouhen in Rabat: reconnecting with his audience
The exhibition brings together works that reflect the artistic journey of Hassan Kouhen. His practice has developed between Morocco and North America, with particular attention to form, colour and memory.
On his canvases, the artist stages a dialogue between different influences. His North American experience intersects with references rooted in his country of birth.
This exhibition allows the public to discover how his approach has evolved and to explore the research that has shaped his career over the years.
From Fez to the United States, a path between two cultures
Originally from Fez, Hassan Kouhen builds part of his artistic universe around the memory of his native city.
Architectural forms, light and graphic elements associated with Fez nourish his work. The artist reinterprets them through a contemporary lens.
His time in the United States has also enriched this exploration. Influences encountered across the Atlantic are interwoven with Moroccan references, which remain central to his visual language.
This encounter between several worlds is one of the main threads running through his work.
An exhibition supported by the Hassan II Foundation
The retrospective is part of the programme of the Hassan II Foundation for Moroccans Living Abroad.
The institution regularly supports Moroccan artists based abroad and helps to maintain links between the diaspora and the national cultural scene.
The return of Hassan Kouhen to Espace Rivages is very much in line with this mission. His new exhibition comes six years after his previous show in the gallery.
It also creates a space for encounters between the artist, the Moroccan public and professionals from the cultural sector.
A preview on 17 September in Rabat
The opening will take place on Thursday 17 September 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at Espace Rivages in Rabat.
The event will give visitors the opportunity to discover the works on display and to discuss the artist’s career.
The exhibition will then remain open to the public until 6 October 2026.
Those interested can also find additional information about the event through the cultural resources available on e-taqafa.ma.
A bridge between Morocco and North America
Through this retrospective, Hassan Kouhen offers a perspective shaped by several cultural spaces.
His journey also echoes that of many Moroccan artists living abroad, whose international experience can enrich exchanges with the Moroccan art scene.
In Rabat, his works bring together memory, identity, place and contemporary creation.
Above all, the exhibition is an opportunity to discover an artistic career built between Fez, Morocco and the United States, while renewing ties with the Moroccan public.
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