Seydou Keïta

From 1948 to 1962, in a studio near the bustling marketplace of Bamako, Seydou Keïta (1923-2001) created stunning black-and-white portraits of Malian citizens that pioneered new styles of cultural representation in West Africa. Keïta’s signature style integrated modern props, patterned backdrops, and varied poses to signify the cosmopolitanism of his clients. His photographs deftly captured the spirit of his times, juxtaposing concurrent notions of tradition and novelty, convention and innovation. This exhibition features a selection of 17 of Keïta’s masterful works.

In Untitled #110, Keïta balances the dazzling pattern of the woman’s dress—which splashes across the composition like a giant checkerboard—with a stone-covered floor and baroque textile backdrop. The portrait’s seductive shading and rich patterns are matched by the power of the woman’s confident expression and pose. Portraits like Untitled #110 illustrate the individual constructions of identity occurring in 1950s Mali, as the country transitioned from a rural French colonial village to an independent, bustling capital.

In 1991, decades after they were originally produced, Keïta’s distinctive photographs were “discovered” by French curators and were reprinted in larger scale. Once introduced in the West, the striking beauty, dignity, and narrative quality of these works rapidly garnered popular attention and critical acclaim.

Keïta’s photographs also demonstrated to Western scholars that Africans had been creating sophisticated photography outside of the scope of the Western art world for decades. Collected and exhibited extensively throughout Europe and the United States since their re-emergence, Keïta’s portraits remain enduringly compelling. Portraits from Mali marks the first time that Keïta’s work will be shown individually and on a large scale in our region.

Curated By Megan Lykins, Assistant Curator

Seydou Keita: Portraits from Mali
Kurator: Megan Lykins