The Brooklyn Museum is presenting "Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens," the most comprehensive North American exhibition of the pioneering Malian photographer's work to date. The exhibition offers fresh insights into the studio practice of the groundbreaking artist who captured the vibrant cosmopolitanism of Bamako during an era of profound political transformation.

The exhibition pays tribute to the artistic talent and legacy of Seydou Keïta (Malian, circa 1921-2001), who documented a crucial chapter in West African history—a period filled with immense political and social hopes during a time marked by an expanding modern world and a new sense of Bamakois identity. The comprehensive display features nearly 275 works, including celebrated portraits, rare images, and previously unseen negatives, alongside textiles, jewelry, dresses, and personal objects that immerse visitors in Keïta's rich photographic landscape.

Keïta was born around 1921 into a Malinké family in Bamako-Coura, or New Bamako, a thriving colonial commercial center at the heart of the historic Malian city. His childhood was shaped by the emergence of liberation struggles across the continent and the rise of modernism, as Bamako served as the capital of French Sudan and later of newly independent Mali in 1960. The photographer documented Malian society from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, an era of transformation and aspirations for independence.

A master of light and composition, Keïta possessed a unique talent for capturing the tactile qualities of his subjects, from their clothing and accessories to their personality and image. Working in collaboration with his subjects, he sculpted their poses, clothing, and style, creating true monuments to their identity. From their first circulation in the West in the early 1990s, his images generated unprecedented interest in the worlds of art, music, fashion, design, and mainstream media, forever transforming the global cultural landscape.

Today, these bold and captivating portraits continue to invite viewers into direct dialogue with Keïta's subjects. The exhibition demonstrates how the photographer's innovative approach to portraiture created lasting visual testimonies to a pivotal moment in African history, when traditional cultures intersected with modern aspirations and emerging national identities.

"Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens" is organized by guest curator Catherine E. McKinley in collaboration with Imani Williford, Assistant Curator of Photography, Fashion, and Material Culture at the Brooklyn Museum. The exhibition runs from October 10, 2025, through March 8, 2026, at the Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11238.