Writing Mali into Light: Seydou Keïta’s Photography at the Grand Palais - Part 2

By Sojourner Ahébée

The word “photography” comes from the Greek roots photos, meaning light, and graphé, meaning drawing or writing. In other words, photography is writing with light. And that is just what Seydou Keïta did with his camera. He wrote Mali into light, love, and liberation.

Keïta had a profound love and respect for the Black woman, and his ability to give Black women in his photographs their own sense of dignity and beauty continues to amaze. So naturally, some of the most touching images from the exhibition were images of Black women: women on motorcycles; women with their children; women with their husbands, boyfriends, and lovers; women alongside other women looking out for one another; women standing; women with their bodies reclined across the ground; women with gold hanging from their necks; women working their sewing machines; women being proud to be women.

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1959-60
120 x 180 cm
Private collection, Paris

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1949
50 x 60 cm
Collection Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris
In a general sense, the post-independent period in many African nations across the continent was marked by many promises. But women, many African women in particular, were often excluded from such promises, as they continued to be oppressed by traditional forces and customs that had existed before the colonial period. Some of these things included gender roles, female genital mutilation, expectation to marry, etc.

As independence from French colonial powers granted African men a new sense of freedom and opportunity, African women could not subscribe so easily into these new notions of liberation. They were still fighting for their bodies and their agency, things that were recognized neither by both the colonial regime, nor by much of the African male population. But Keïta’s commitment to rendering the African woman visible, powerful, and as existing for herself in lieu of the eyes and appetites of others is truly a testament to his desire to include the African woman in this new, liberated Africa.

Keïta is often remembered for his images of “the reclining woman”. Throughout the exhibition there were endless photographs of women spread out across the ground in a reclining manner, as they relaxed, held their children, or leaned against a lover. The African woman, and by extension the Black woman, is often depicted as an endurer of pain and trauma. By constantly providing us with images of African women in moments of leisure and tranquility, Keïta stresses the necessity for a space in which the African woman can know peace and pleasure.

Seydou Keïta
Untitled (Couple allongé), 1952-55
120 x 180 cm
Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1959 (Left) & Untitled, 1958 (Right)
120 x 180 cm (Left) & 127 x 180 (Right)

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1949
120 x 180 cm
Collection agnès b., Paris
Keïta also makes use of his portraits as tools for African women to imagine their strength and agency in a modern and urbanized African society. The machine inevitably becomes intricately connected to the Malian woman’s everyday life. Whether she is headed to a party on her motorcycle, making a dress on her sewing machine, or listening to the latest hit on the radio, the machine becomes a dominant mode of expression of power and elation throughout the photographs.

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1953
77 x 60 cm
Finally, Keïta affirms and validates spaces for women to enjoy the company of one another. Here, their happiness, beauty, and value are not determined by the presence of men. Rather, a purely female, African joy is centered, allowing African women to find worth in their love for one another.

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1956-57
127 x 180 cm

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1959-1960
50 x 60 cm
Collection Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris

Seydou Keïta
Untitled, 1956-57
127 x 180 cm

Paris’s Grand Palais, one of the city’s most beloved national galleries, was home to the Seydou Keïta photography exhibition from March 31st to July 11th, 2016.

Sojourner Ahébée is a 2016 BOSP Continuation International Fellow for the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University. She is currently serving as the Paris intern for the Wells International Foundation.

Read more of Sojourner's work at Sojourner Ahébée.

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Writing Mali into Light: Seydou Keïta’s Photography at the Grand Palais - Part 1

By Sojourner Ahébée

The word “photography” comes from the Greek roots photos, meaning light, and graphé, meaning drawing or writing. In other words, photography is writing with light. And that is just what Seydou Keïta did with his camera. He wrote Mali into light, love, and liberation.

These days I am often thinking about the Black body. I am thinking about Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the way this list of bodies will be longer by the time I'm done writing this. I am thinking about the camera and what it takes to make you see. I am thinking about the camera and what it means to look, what it means to attend to history, what it means to attend to violence you cannot stop, what it means to attend to violence the Black body has lived through for centuries.

Seydou Keïta was unapologetic in his celebration of the Black body, and Black joy. Through his photos, he invited Black folks on the African continent and across the diaspora to take up space, to love, to dance, to find their truest selves. In light of all the recent police terror that has plagued the Black body in the U.S., the recent exhibition of his work at Paris’s Grand Palais -- and by extension, the full body of his work -- asked me to imagine a future where the Black body can be safe, joyous and alive in all of its possibilities.

Seydou Keïta exhibition flier
Keïta, who was born in 1921 in the French colony of French Sudan (now known as modern-day Mali), was initially be trained as a carpenter by his father from the age of seven. But in 1935 after his uncle’s trip to Senegal, Keïta was gifted with his very first camera -- a Kodak Brownie to be exact -- prompting him to re-imagine his calling and his role in a country navigating transition between its colonial identity and its approaching independence.

Keïta followed his passion for photography throughout the years, and became intimately invested in the portrait. Through his photographs, he conjured the power to give his community visibility and beauty in a world that worked to deny them even those simple things. In 1948, he opened his own photography studio near the train station in Bamako and quickly became a success in the bustling city, as voyagers hailing from all over West Africa as well as young Malian urbanites living in the city flocked to Keïta to have their photos taken.

Twelve years later, French Sudan would gain its independence (1960) and becomes the Republic of Mali. Keïta’s portraits frequent the urgency of such a transition. Here, the personal becomes political. Keita’s portraits become the act of affirming, centering, and naming an African identity post-independence. They are the act of telling an African story of survival, as well as the African desire for modernity from a purely African perspective.

Seydou Keïta at work
Screenshot from "Souvenirs de Seydou Keïta 4/5"
Seydou Keïta at the Grand Palais asks viewers to step into a 20th-century Mali that is rocking back and forth between its tradition and its modernity. For Mali, it is the era of big radios and motorcycles, of men in suits. It is the era of fast trains and long cars. It is the era of families moving into big cities. It is the era of the photograph, it is the era of the black, African body asking to be seen.

The emergence of and need for a post-colonial, modern, Malian aesthetic and identity is evident in many of the photos. But the love and preservation of a traditional Mali, whether that be through the strong presence of African cloth and fashion or the recurring image of traditional ceremonies, celebrations, and marriages, is also evident. Keïta shows us a Mali that is able imagine both worlds for itself.

Seydou Keita
Untitled, 1954
120 x 180 x 4 cm
Image courtesy of Sojourner Ahébée
Keïta’s portraits also bring to the forefront a greater conversation between the West and former, African colonial subjects. Many of the individuals in the portraits sport Westerns fashions and standards of elegance, further establishing a kind of African obsession with Western standards of success and wealth. But this conversation is complicated by a violent and oppressive French colonial history in Mali, rendering the prevalence of Western aesthetics in the photos -- as well as the ways in which they are often paired with traditional, Malian fashion -- as subversive, or, in some sense, as a muscular reacquisition of power and African identity and humanity.

Modernity does not belong to the West, and Keïta’s subjects -- who are often local Malian citizens -- work to challenge the West’s claim on such an aesthetic by clothing themselves in both Malian as well as “Western” modes of dress. Furthermore, this creative and empowering metissage of cultures allows them to imagine a Malian identity that escapes any singular or static notion of existence.

Seydou Keita
Untitled, 1959
120 x 99 cm
Image courtesy of Sojourner Ahébée
Keïta was often searching for a space where the newly-independent, modern Mali and the Mali of a traditional, African past could meet. His portraits provided him with such a space. Keïta developed a deep love and important obsession with Malian textile and cloth. The vast majority of his portraits in the exhibition included large and vibrantly-colored pieces of African textile draped behind his subjects.

Seydou Keita
Untitled (Deux Femmes-fond), 1956
180 x 120 cm
Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris
Image courtesy of Sojourner Ahébée
Before each shoot, Keïta would meticulously select the piece of cloth he planned to include in the photograph. Cloth in the West African tradition maintains a significant part of West African identity and expression. Many cloths carry their own particular meanings (and stories), and often these meanings create a system of rules and rituals that dictate when and where such a cloth can be worn. So, as post-independent Malians in the photographs are depicted in their suits, or leaning against their shiny radios, Keïta situates the African cloth as a backdrop and as a spirited and colorful reminder of a traditional Malian identity and aesthetic. The cloths that he chooses are often bold in color and in pattern, further making tangible a dynamic and animated Black joy, post-independence.

Seydou Keita
Untitled, 1956-57
90 x 130 cm
Image courtesy of Sojourner Ahébée
Paris’s Grand Palais, one of the city’s most beloved national galleries, was home to the Seydou Keïta photography exhibition from March 31st to July 11th, 2016.

Sojourner Ahébée is a 2016 BOSP Continuation International Fellow for the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University. She is currently serving as the Paris intern for the Wells International Foundation.

Read more of Sojourner's work at Sojourner Ahébée.

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Black Paris Profiles™ II: Christian Bordey - Part 2

Last week, I introduced you to Christian Bordey, portrait photographer. In the second part of my interview with him, Christian discusses his favorite photography project and his life in the City of Light.

Christian Bordey
© Cécile Renaud

Though he lives and works in Paris, Christian feels more at home in Guadeloupe and more widely in countries with a black majority population. There are several reasons for this: he cites culture first and foremost, then “way of life” and “sense of fun.” “It's a bit cliché,” he says, but the sun is also an important reason that he prefers Guadeloupe. He describes himself as a “photo addict” and because he prefers images with bright sun and blue sky, he can take pictures all the time there. Also, he still has family in Guadeloupe and wants to spend more time with them.

He began to take pictures of his home island Terre-de-Bas in October 2012. Not having visited there for six years, the trip was like a rediscovery for him. Because there are few distractions on the island, he took photos to combat boredom. Then he came up with the idea of creating a book of these photos to show to his mother. He is working on photo books for two additional Guadeloupian islands – Marie-Galante and La Désirade – at the suggestion of Los Angeles gallery owner Michelle Joan Papillion.

At present, the "Terre de Bas" book is Christian’s preferred project. This is because it is intensely personal. He calls Terre de Bas his holiday paradise because this is where his mother comes from and where he spent all his holidays as a child. During his last stay in Guadeloupe, his brother introduced him to the neighborhood where his father grew up. Because he grew up without his father, he plans to focus his lens on this area in future photo shoots.

The Way to the Beach
© Christian Bordey
Photography has taken Christian many places in the world. When he was a photo assistant – taking care of equipment lists and managing the lighting for photography sessions – he traveled Spain, England and Italy for magazines such as Madame Figaro, Elle, and Vanity Fair. For photo shoots for English catalogs, he traveled to Brazil, California, and some islands in the Anglophone Caribbean (Bahamas, Barbados). He prefers sunny locations (especially Guadeloupe) and is now thinking of traveling to take pictures on the African continent.

One of the most unusual shoots that Christian worked on was in Qatar. He went there with Maher Attar, a Lebanese photographer based in Paris who works for the royal family. At the time, Christian was Attar’s light assistant. They took photos of the king's daughter and the images were printed on porcelain and offered to guests. During his free time, he took the opportunity to show another side of life in Qatar, the harsh reality of immigrants working on construction sites in stifling heat.

When the conversation turned to life in France, Christian had lots to say. He moved to Paris with his mother when he was three years old. Some of his most vivid memories of his early days there were of going to the discount clothing store Tati. He recalls that the store was often full and because he was small, it impressed him “a lot.” He also remembers that people from all backgrounds frequented Tati in those days, and he commented that this has not changed.

He currently lives in the Paris suburb of Asnières-sur-Seine and he likes his neighborhood because it is close to all the conveniences of everyday life and provides a neighborhood life of its own. It is the first place that he lived when he arrived in France and he says that it “is a bit of a nod to my story.”

His favorite area in Paris is Châtelet les Halles because of the shopping, recreational activities such as cinema, and the huge mix of people that you find in the quarter because of the efflux from the suburbs at Châtelet Les Halles RER station. Only a few meters away, you can find a more “bobo” atmosphere with rue Montorgueil and trendy restaurants and cafés.

Christian rides a scooter – a popular means of transportation in Paris. He likes this because it gives him a sense of freedom and saves him time. But he doesn’t shun other ways of getting around. When he worked at Studio Astre, he took the metro to work because it was the most direct way to get from his home to the studio. He prefers taking a car when going long distances, particularly when the sun goes down.

When asked about the Guadeloupian community in Paris, Christian said that because of the history between France and the Caribbean and because Guadeloupe is still French, “forty years of immigration and homecoming are still valid.” Among the places that he meets people in the community is in the hair salon, “a place of passage of the black community.” He says that jazz clubs provide a very active scene for Caribbean. Occasionally, he’ll eat at La Kaz, a casual restaurant near Châtelet that serves Caribbean specialties.

Christian has the following advice for young photographers who are considering moving to Paris and establish a career there:

The best advice is quite simple: work, patience, and above all, perseverance. And maximize your social connections – get out and be seen in the right places.

Fogo de Deus
© Christian Bordey
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Black Paris Profiles™ II: Christian Bordey - Part 1

My friend Kathie Foley-Meyer introduced to Guadeloupe-native Christian Bordey less than two weeks ago, when she and her husband Irv swung through Paris as part of their extended Christmas holiday travels. We had a fascinating conversation over coffee and I knew that I had to bring Christian’s story to you via the Entrée to Black Paris blog!

Christian Bordey
© Cécile Renaud

Christian is a photographer who specializes in portraits. He started taking photos at the age of twenty-one with a camera that belonged to his father. He recalls asking if he could borrow his dad’s camera equipment, to which his father replied, "Of course." He then began doing portraits in a neighborhood studio and taking photos at his school in Paris’ 14th arrondissement.

He began his career by working in a traditional black and white photo lab, where he discovered what he calls “the magic of developing and photo printing.” He worked alongside acclaimed photographers Jeanloup Sieff (portraitist) and Peter Lindbergh (fashion photographer), drying their contact sheets by using an old process called “glazing.”

Christian worked at the fashion photo studio Astre for six years, where he served as the set assistant and the liaison between the team and the studio. He learned to deal with the photographer, makeup artist, hairdresser, indeed, everyone involved in the shoots. It was a grueling task but very rewarding, because that's where he learned how to build a light, manage a team, and create a relationship of trust with the person photographed.

Next, he worked with fashion photographer Fred Pinet – it was with Pinet that he learned to photograph in daylight. He went on to launch his solo career in fashion photography but now favors doing portraits. To his knowledge, no other Guadeloupian photographer does the kind of work that he does.

Christian has built quite a name and reputation for himself and works quite a bit from referrals. Because the relationship between photographer and subject is built on trust, the referrals indicate that his current and past clients trust him enough to recommend him. Clients have even come to him without even having seen his work, based on these referrals.

I asked Christian what distinguishes portraiture from fashion photography for him. He responded:

Fashion photography highlights the clothing, makeup, etc. of the time, using the best of each of these elements to create an image. For the portrait, the attitude is much the same, but in the service of a personality. Portraits are more timeless because they reflect an emotion.

In looking at Christian’s portfolio, I observed dozens of striking, sometimes even haunting, B&W portraits. But I also saw lots of color photos – of ad campaigns, music events, and particularly, of landscapes. Christian told me that when he travels, he prefers photographing in color because he prefers authenticity and wants to do only minimal retouches. For many of his portraits, however, he uses B&W for classicism.

Among the most expressive and enchanting portraits in the portfolio are those of several reggae artists. They are inspired by the classic portraits of jazzmen in black and white.

Earl China Smith
© Christian Bordey
Christian recounted the following about how he began photographing these artists:

I've always loved music and reggae in particular. My first CD purchase was UB40’s Labour of Love II. A few years later I began my recreational photography and then worked for a professional photo studio.

Then I had the idea to mix what I can do with what I like. This “clicker” emerged with a photo portrait of Bob Marley taken by Annie Lebovitz, with whom I worked. Annie had set up a mobile studio close to Marley’s concert and had waited three days to get his picture. So I thought, “Why not me?”

In July 2009, I contacted a reggae festival in the south of France and presented my project. It worked!

Perhaps not surprisingly, Christian’s favorite hobby is to go to live music concerts. He loves listening to the voices of the singers and hearing the musicians' work “because without them, music does not exist.” The height of his enjoyment comes when he attends music festivals – he loves the excitement, the encounters, the photo opportunities...

…which led to the topic of OneOneOne Exclusive Conscious Wear, a fair trade, ecologically-conscious French clothing line supported by “Reggae Artists, Musicians, Dancers, & Lovers.” Christian is among their supporters:

I have met many artists who wear OneOneOne creations at concerts and festivals and as soon as I could, I sent them pictures to promote their creations. I made this picture at Terre de Bas, with a tripod that my father bought in New Caledonia 40 years ago. My brother gave it to me last year. The name “OneOneOne” comes from Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a black prophet glorified by some reggae artists who said, "One Aim, One God, One Destiny."

Christian Bordey wearing OneOneOne apparel
© Christian Bordey
Now Christian is thinking of making a series of portraits of dance hall singers originating from the French Caribbean, this time in color.

Next week, read about Christian's preferred photo project and his life in Paris.

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