NYC: African Art Exhibit

SEYDOU KEITA: THE IMAGE KING OF AFRICA
January 15 - March 4, 2006
Reception: Friday, January 27, 2006, 6-8pm
Sean Kelly Gallery
528 West 29th Street @ 10 Avenue
New York, NY 10001
212.239.1181 - http://www.skny.com/

Sean Kelly Gallery is delighted to announce an exhibition of portraits by internationally renowned African photographer Seydou Keïta (1923 – 2001). The opening of the exhibition will take place on January 27th from 6pm until 8pm.

The exhibition is comprised of works carefully chosen in concert with the Seydou Keita Foundation, which were taken in the 1950s and 1960s and have never before been exhibited. Although formally posed, the studio portraits are not contrived or pretentious. Keïta often used bedspreads and other readily available material as backdrops for his portraits. He also offered a variety of costumes, accessories and props for his clients to use. Many sitters arrived in their Sunday best, some in traditional tribal costume, others adopted the attire of the western businessmen, while most combined both indigenous and western elements. The photographs capture not only how the sitters appeared, but also how they saw themselves, and how they wanted to be seen by others.

Please contact William Petroni at the gallery (212.239.1181) or william@skny.com for more information. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11am until 6pm and Saturday from 10am until 6pm.