West Africa’s greatest photographer goes on show in Moscow

The Moscow Multimedia Art Museum has opened an exhibition of work by Seydou Keïta, the Malian artist considered by many the most important photographer in West Africa. Keïta, who died in 2001, was entirely self-taught, learning the craft by snapping his friends as a teenager. He turned to photography after his uncle gave him a Kodak Brownie Flash as a present. After opening a studio in 1948, clients travelled from near and far, and included politicians, businessmen, couples and families. Many brought items for the photo shoot including a new sewing machine or bicycle while others were pictured with objects or clothing kept in his studio such as western-tailored suits, hats, watches, fountain pens, telephones and alarm clocks.

“It’s easy to take a photo,” said Keïta, who is reported to have taken around 20,000 portraits between 1948 and 1962. “But what really made a difference was that I always knew how to find the right position, and I was never wrong. Their head slightly turned, a serious face, the position of the hands … I was capable of making someone look really good. The photos were always very good. That’s why I always say that it’s a real art.”

In 1962, Keïta was appointed the official photographer of the Republic of Mali, a post he held until 1977. Although hugely popular in West Africa, his work only came to light in the West after the appointment. The Moscow show is the first major retrospective of his work in Russia.

The exhibition runs until 5 May.