Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens Extended through May 17, 2026
“A gorgeous retrospective” —New York Times
“Sensitive, inventive, and timeless.” —Hyperallergic
“[The photographs] must be seen in person to really do them justice” —New York Amsterdam News
The Brooklyn Museum announced today the extension of Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens. The popular exhibition, originally scheduled to close on March 8, 2026, will remain on view through Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The exhibition celebrates the artistry and legacy of studio photographer Seydou Keïta (Malian, ca. 1921–2001), who documented Malian society on the cusp of dramatic transformation. From the late 1940s to early 1960s, on the eve of independence, Keïta chronicled the elegance and sophistication of his sitters’ self-expression during a pivotal moment of nation-building.
A Tactile Lens features over 280 works, including renowned portraits, rare images, and never-before-seen negatives as well as textiles, jewelry, dresses, and personal items that fully immerse visitors in Keïta’s rich photographic landscape. The show brings together a remarkable range of Keïta’s photographs, including a generous loan from the Keïta family of extraordinary, never-before-published works, which have been preserved and imaged by the Museum on the occasion of the exhibition.
Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is organized by guest curator Catherine E. McKinley with Imani Williford, Curatorial Assistant, Photography, Fashion, and Material Culture, Brooklyn Museum.
Credits
Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens is organized by guest curator Catherine E. McKinley with Imani Williford, Curatorial Assistant, Photography, Fashion, and Material Culture, Brooklyn Museum.
Exhibition soundtrack created by Nile Rodgers and Chmba Chilemba.
Significant support is provided by the Leonian Charitable Trust.
Generous support is provided by Elizabeth and William Kahane and VLISCO.
We are grateful to all the lenders for this exhibition, especially The Jean Pigozzi African Art Collection and the Seydou Keïta family, who were passionate advocates and generous lenders for this presentation.
About the Brooklyn Museum
For 200 years, the Brooklyn Museum has been recognized as a trailblazer. Through a vast array of exhibitions, public programs, and community-centered initiatives, it continues to broaden the narratives of art, uplift a multitude of voices, and center creative expression within important dialogues of the day. Housed in a landmark building in the heart of Brooklyn, the Museum is home to an astounding encyclopedic collection of more than 140,000 objects representing cultures worldwide and over 6,000 years of history—from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to significant American works, to groundbreaking installations presented in the only feminist art center of its kind. As one of the oldest and largest art museums in the country, the Brooklyn Museum remains committed to innovation, creating compelling experiences for its communities and celebrating the power of art to inspire awe, conversation, and joy.
