ART BASEL 2026: Souleymane Keïta

Galerie Cécile Fakhoury is pleased to announce its participation in Art Basel 2026, in the Feature section, with a monographic presentation dedicated to Senegalese artist Souleymane Keïta (1947–2014).

A major figure in the Senegalese art scene, Souleymane Keïta developed a unique pictorial style from the late 1970s onwards, characterized by great formal freedom and constant exploration of color, rhythm, and matter. Breaking away from the stylistic conventions of his time, Souleymane Keïta constructed a deeply personal language at the crossroads of abstraction and figuration. The artist drew constant inspiration from the riches of nature and his personal history.

The presentation at Art Basel will highlight a formative period in his career during the 1980s to 2000s. Souleymane Keïta explored several avenues and mediums during an intense phase of visual experimentation. The works from these decades bear witness to the gradual establishment of the formal and conceptual principles that would permanently structure his practice. They reveal a moment of open research, essential to understanding the emergence of his style and the coherence of his journey from Senegal to New York via Paris and Mali.

This selection accompanies a pivotal moment in the international recognition of Souleymane Keïta's work. On this occasion, the Cécile Fakhoury Gallery is continuing the in-depth work carried out in collaboration with the artist's family, aiming to permanently establish his work in the major narratives of modernity and contemporary art history.