Artist Carl-Édouard Keïta explores Ivorian identity through art

Artist Carl-Édouard Keïta, who works between New York and Côte d’Ivoire, uses his work to bridge Ivorian history with global influences. His artistic process involves researching archives to reconstruct a memory of Côte d’Ivoire that transcends borders.

In his piece ‘Les muses de l’Hôtel Ivoire’, Keïta juxtaposes a discovered Ivorian sculpture with modern women associated with 1960s Miss Dior fashion shows in Abidjan. The work also references a 1976 Chloé dress named ‘Côte d’Ivoire’, designed by Karl Lagerfeld, prompting questions about how Ivorian references are integrated into European fashion history.

Keïta’s approach avoids a fixed identity, instead using angular lines, colorful backgrounds, and traditional statues to create contemporary compositions shaped by personal research and memory.