On the occasion of its participation in the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Galerie Cécile Fakhoury is pleased to present an original proposal by artist Carl-Edouard Keïta (b. 1992, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire; lives in New York, USA).
For his first solo presentation in South Africa, Carl-Edouard Keïta explores the extraordinary life of Malik Ambar (1548 - 1626), a slave of Ethiopian origin born in Harar, who arrived in India in the Deccan region through the movements and successions of his masters; freed on the death of the last, he became warlord and then Peschwa (prime minister) of the Sultanate of Ahmadnagar, a Muslim kingdom of late medieval India.
Carl-Edouard Keïta's interest in this historical figure is in line with his ongoing research into the visual arts. The artist's exploration tends to highlight, within the rich Black history of the world, alternative models of representation that challenge the eschatological and Eurocentric narratives attached to the (often fatal) destiny of the “black soul”. Malik Ambar is one such figure.
In a series of ten paintings, Carl-Edouard Keïta depicts moments in the warrior's life, drawing inspiration from biographical accounts, iconographic works depicting him in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the Louvre in Paris and the Met in New York, and from his own imagination. He articulates a distant dialogue with Orientalism, which he revisits. The works, mixed media on canvas, combine acrylic paint, pastel and colored pencil, and are marked by the presence of drawing and the cubist line that we find in Carl-Edouard Keïta's latest series of works and that guides our reading of the work.
On canvas, the multiplication of facets constructs the subjects and offers different points of view to consider within the same visual space.
In Keïta's work, visual fragmentation works to deconstruct and then renew perception. It creates an imaginary space where the viewer must work from a complex perspective to make sense of the story. The often dark background serves as a backdrop for the artist's visions as they unfold before our eyes. The depth of the subject reveals itself as the eye takes in the complexity of the drawing. While the scenes may seem static at first glance, the composition of shapes, the harmony of colors and the interplay of textures orchestrated by the artist create a dynamism that seems on the verge of unfolding in three dimensions.
Carl-Edouard Keïta's poetic and visual account of Malik Ambar's life takes us on a journey through time and space. It highlights the inspirational power of black diasporic experiences when they are considered and told in all their nuance and complexity. Carl-Edouard Keïta offers us a powerful reminder that still makes sense today.
Carl-Edouard Keïta's poetic and visual account of Malik Ambar's life takes us on a journey through time and space. It highlights the inspirational power of black diasporic experiences when they are considered and told in all their nuance and complexity. Carl-Edouard Keïta offers us a powerful reminder that still makes sense today.
