Carl-Edouard Keita: Goumbé

The Cécile Fakhoury Gallery presents Goumbé, the first solo exhibition by artist Carl-Edouard Keita in Abidjan, from February 13 to April 12, 2025.

Cultural associations established by migrants from inland regions and neighboring areas of Côte d’Ivoire during the post-independence years, goumbés were once highly prominent in Abidjan’s working-class neighborhoods. Today, goumbés have nearly disappeared, with their legacy surviving mainly through the dance that originated from them, still practiced within the Malinké community in northern Côte d’Ivoire.

Drawing inspiration from the creative effervescence of this movement, Carl-Edouard Keita explores in this exhibition the social, cultural, and spiritual dynamics of a key period in the construction of a post-colonial national identity.

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