Mohamed Keita's Photographic Journey from Refugee to Artist in Rome

Studio Cristiana Perrella in Rome is hosting 'Par l'errance', a solo exhibition of photographer Mohamed Keita, running until January 26, 2018. The show presents fourteen photographs taken between 2012 and 2017, including works from his series 'J'habite Termini' (2011-13), which documents the precarious lives of people living around Rome's Termini station. Keita, born in Ivory Coast in 1993, arrived in Italy as a political refugee in 2010 at age 17, after crossing Mali, the Libyan desert, and Malta. He spent three months sleeping on the streets of Termini station before a volunteer gave him a disposable camera, which became his tool for storytelling. His first photograph captured his makeshift bed: a blue backpack, a blanket, and layers of recycled cardboard. Keita later connected with volunteers from Civico Zero, who enrolled him in a photography course. His work explores urban environments with an eye for marginal figures and unnoticed details, capturing moments that are acute, intense, and sometimes ironic. The exhibition is curated by Cristiana Perrella.