Habibatou yaye keita

Yaye Keita, Tassa Dju, bottom (hollow) of a cup worn by pretty women, acrylic on canvas, collage and weaving, 80 x 70 cm, 2021 (SOLD)
Yaye Keita, Tanko, 2 large braids were worn by young Bambara girls from the segou region, acrylic on canvas, collage and weaving, 75 x 75 cm, 2021 (SOLD)
Yaye Keita, Djenne Djenne, hairstyle of the young Bozo of the region of Sikasso, acrylic on canvas with collage and weaving, 70 x 60 cm, 2021 (SOLD)
Habibatou Yaye Keita, ‘djoubatô’ (hairstyle of women having given birth to a girl), acrylic on canvas with collage and weaving, 70 x 70 cm, 2021. (SOLD)
Habibatou Yaye Keita, ‘Bella Bella’ (hairstyle for young Bella women from the Gao region), acrylic on canvas with collage, 200 x 170 cm, 2021.
Habibatou Yaye Keita, ‘Fatuma’ (hairstyle in honor of a legendary woman Bella Fatuma Faye who has never been divorced is an anti-divorce hairstyle), acrylic on canvas with collage and weaving, 100 x 70 cm, 2021. (SOLD)
Habibatou Yaye Keita, ‘Kadow’ (hairstyle of Dogon women during major festivals), acrylic on canvas with collage, 200 x 170 cm, 2021. (SOLD)

Habibatou Yaye Keita (1998) is a visual artist from Mali, a graduate of the Conservatory of Multimedia Arts and Crafts Balla Fasséké Kouyaté (CAMM / BFK), member of the Sanou’Arts collective, lives and works in Bamako.

Through her hairstyles Keita is a walking work of art and a sign of the message she wants to convey.

Keita: ‘I show hairstyles from my grandmother’s generation in Mali. It strikes me that everyone wants to have straight hair these days and imported plastic hair is fashionable. Unfortunately everyone wants to look like in the west. We have such a rich culture of traditional hairstyle. Traditionally, hairstyles had a meaning. You could tell from a woman’s haircut what ethnicity she belonged to, whether she had just given birth or if she was married. That’s handy because not everything is discussed here, out of respect you often keep your mouth shut.’

Keita herself wears hairstyles from days gone by. “Everyone recognizes her by my hair and people like to have a chat with me, then I tell them about our traditional hairstyles.” Keita paints pictures in which she is depicted wearing a hairdo that she makes from yarn. Sometimes she mixes past and present or refers to something from her close environment. One of the hairstyles consists of three spheres that refer to the main hills on which Bamako is built. She fervently hopes to inspire other women to appreciate their own hair.

Habibatou Yaye Keita in her studio in Bamako, Mali.
Habibatou Yaye Keita.