Keba Konte

“I’ve got my mother’s eye and my father’s hands”

Indeed, Keba inherited his mother’s photographic eye and his father’s skill in working with wood.  The marvel is how he combines these seemingly disparate crafts into a unique artistic vision. 

Keba’s work is about people, emotion, love and struggle.  His visual language expands through Africa, Europe and Japan, places he has traveled to which add depth and richness to his images.  Often his works focus on people- young men and women in particular- who defy tough surroundings and bear out their souls to us.

In this sense the works are brutally honest, yet they always carry through a sense of dignity, if not understated elegance.  There is an element of refinement to his art, which serves to elevate the stories of the people to a higher level.

We also would like to congratulate Keba on his participation in the upcoming exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. entitled, “Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers, 1840 to the Present.”