What began as simple curiosity blossomed into an object of national pride; when Seydou Keita bought a camera to take pictures of his family, neighbors assumed his services were for hire and enlisted him to take portraits of themselves and their homes, turning a carpenter into a photographer and a hobby into artistic expression. In such a way did the self-taught Keita become the official photographer of Mali from 1962 to 1977, based almost solely on his impeccable reputation for quality and originality that developed by word of mouth.
This stunning collection of 206 black-and white-portraits illustrates Keita's pride in his country and his gift for capturing the personalities of his subjects. His aim was to create the most natural settings and poses for the people in front of the lens, putting them at ease and gently nudging them into surrendering their inhibitions. Keita utilized a wide variety of props to further this goal, including bicycles, telephones, radios, and musical instruments. He also kept a variety of clothing on hand--both traditional and European--to help his subjects achieve a desired look or style.
What comes across most clearly in these photos is the beauty of the people; Keita brilliantly exposes their essence by focusing on their images.
Seydou Keïta
Category: Photographer Monographs & Art Books
Reviews: star
star
star
star
star
Author: Seydou Keïta, Andre Magnin
Publisher: Scalo Publishers
Publication Date:
1997
Print Length: 288 pages
Language: English
Price: paid
paid
paid
Selected Books by This Photographer
Books From the Same Publisher
expand_circle_rightLatest Books in This Category
Grim Glory: Lee Miller's Britain at War
Dec 2026 — Lee Miller Archives Publishing
starstarstarstarstar
John Baer: The Extraordinary Ordinary: A Memoir in Photographs, 1945–1954
Sep 2026 — John Baer Archive



