Koyo Kouoh, 1967-2025

With depth and academic rigour, Koyo Kouoh told the stories of our diverse, magnificent and culturally rich continent to the world.

Words and illustration: Wynona Mutisi

Curators, of all the world’s storytellers, have a unique way of collating ideas, thoughts and experiences to give language to artists’ work, in a beautiful and almost magical process.

With depth and academic rigour, Koyo Kouoh told the stories of our diverse, magnificent and culturally rich continent to the world. Whether it was through the art institutions she taught at or the events she curated, Africa was the centre.

Kouoh was a leader who made space to celebrate the continent’s brilliant minds and boundless creativity. From founding RAW Material Company, a Dakar art space and residency, to overseeing the world’s largest museum of contemporary African art at Zeitz MOCCA in Cape Town.

The art community eagerly looked forward to seeing her vision for the Venice Art Biennale of 2026. She won’t be here to curate it as planned. But she did spend her lifetime mentoring the next generation African artists, and her ideas did not die with her. Many will carry her torch and take Africa to the world.