Melvin Edwards @ Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France : Souleymane Keïta

Palais de Tokyo, 13 Av. du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris, France 22 November 2025 - 2 February 2026 
Overview
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Melvin Edwards @ Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France , Souleymane Keïta
Palais de Tokyo, 13 Av. du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris, France https://palaisdetokyo.com/exposition/melvin-edwards/

A contemporary of the first generation of the École de Dakar, Souleymane Keïta’s predominantly abstract practice is both singular and atypical, setting itself apart from the artistic trends of his time. He created numerous series inspired by his personal history and his everyday life as a Senegalese man, born on Gorée Island and of Mandinka Malian descent.

 

Travel plays a crucial role in his sources of inspiration. His discovery of Mali, the land of his paternal ancestors, deeply nourished his imagination, as did his stay in New York between 1980 and 1985, where he encountered the modern African-American art scene alongside artists such as Bill Hutson, Melvin Edwards, and Ed Clark, among others. With them, he shared a common pursuit: the quest for a fair representation of complex identities — African for him, African-American for them.

 

As part of the retrospective exhibition dedicated to sculptor Melvin Edwards at the Palais de Tokyo, discover Souleymane Keïta’s engraving Marine Pam Gorée III.