Casa Masaccio, the contemporary art center, in collaboration with Galerie LIS10 Arezzo – Paris, presents “L’ ambigua avventura”, a captivating solo exhibition by Ivorian artist Laetitia Ky. Curated by Alessandro Romanini, this presentation, which runs until October 6, explores the powerful themes of women’s empowerment, both in the arts and in society.
Renowned for her unique practice, Laetitia Ky tirelessly conquers the hearts of art lovers and neophytes alike. With her daring medium of hair sculpture, she succeeds in giving a vibrant voice to her identity, while forcefully questioning contemporary prejudices and perspectives. By also exploring diverse art forms such as video, film, painting, photography, performance and sculpture, Laetitia Ky transcends conventional artistic conventions, revealing a contemporary African art that is both innovative and deeply rooted in the continent’s realities.
A passionate artist and activist, Laetitia Ky uses her art as a powerful non-verbal language and an instrument for asserting identity and gender. Her commitment to the cause of women, at the heart of her artistic approach, has led her to explore numerous galleries and art events around the world. In 2022, she was honored with the prestigious Silver Pegasus, presented by the President of the Regional Council of Tuscany, Antonio Mazzeo, during Tuscan Women’s Week.
Strengthened by her intimate connection with the Tuscan territory and its history, as well as the coherence between her poetic-identitarian research and her broader political commitment, Laetitia Ky is coming to Casa Masaccio this year. Her exhibition, “L’ ambigua avventura”, is inspired by the eponymous essay by Senegalese writer Cheik Hamidou Kane (1961), and offers a series of interconnected visual reflections. It explores the nature of “Black” identity, highlighting its social consequences and the duplicity inherent in the dialectic between cultural roots and colonial legacies. Enriched by a reflection on gender and the discrimination still present, this exhibition also questions the genius loci of Tuscany, offering a fertile dialogue between past, present and shifting identities.
“L’ ambigua avventura” presents a series of works with visuals that are both captivating and profound. The element that immediately draws the visitor in is Laetitia Ky’s piercing gaze, sometimes defiant, sometimes neutral. Through her photographs, paintings and sculptures, the Ivorian artist reappropriates the representation of black identity, long approached from a Eurocentric prism. She draws on many elements of pre- and post-colonial history, including archives featuring Tuscan female figures such as Carla Lonzi (1931-1982), activist, essayist, art critic and feminist theorist, one of the founders of the Rivolta Femminile publishing house in the 1970s.
In “L’ ambigua avventura”, Laetitia Ky unveils an in-depth analysis and re-elaboration of the notion of the archive. This inspired interest was sparked by the discovery of a precious deposit of photographs from the pre-colonial period in Ivory Coast and the rest of the continent, depicting African women adorned with traditional hairstyles. Hairstyles, a veritable non-verbal language, play a fundamental role in many African countries, serving to signal belonging and assert identity. Enthralled and proud of this element of cultural recognition, Laetitia Ky has developed an artistic approach aimed at valorizing this essential part of African identity and bringing it to the world stage.
Armed with her original medium, hair sculpture, Laetitia Ky conveys powerful messages through expressive postures that allow her to be understood and heard through performance and her singular body art. She also integrates photography into her creative repertoire, using this visual medium to enrich her previous practices of performance and sculpture. Through this non-verbal, yet highly communicative language, Laetitia Ky manages to reach a wide audience on social networks, offering a voice and a vote of confidence to all those women who, in many African countries and beyond, are still fighting today for equal rights.
In “L’ ambigua avventura”, Laetitia Ky presents a variety of photographs from her hair sculpture performances, accompanied by recent paintings and sculptures. Some of the images on show have been created specifically for this event, in line with her ongoing research into themes such as self-representation, the valorization of “black beauty” and women’s rights. In order to offer the public an immersive and enriching experience, a tailor-made program has been developed by Casa Masaccio in collaboration with the Ivorian artist to accompany the exhibition.
