Who was Koyo Kouoh? Tributes pour in as prominent art curator dies at 57

A prominent name in global art, Koyo Kouoh, passed away at the age of 57 on May 10, 2025, in Basel, Switzerland. The Cameroonian-Swiss art curator was about to become the first African woman to lead the upcoming Venice Biennale, a large-scale international art exhibition that takes place every two years and is considered to be one of the most prestigious art exhibitions in the world.

According to Koyo's husband, Phillipe Mall, with whom she shared a son, her unfortunate death was caused by cancer, as she was recently diagnosed with it. The renowned arts figure was the executive director and chief curator of Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa and was born on December 24, 1967, in Cameroon's economic capital, Douala.

After turning 13, Koyo shifted to Zurich, Switzerland, with her family, where she grew up and pursued business administration and banking. She also studied cultural management in France and was interestingly fluent in multiple European languages, including German, Italian, and French. After growing up in Europe and spending several years there, Koyo finally moved to Dakar, Senegal, due to Europe's rising anti-black racism, where she found an art career.

According to The Guardian, a statement was released by the Zeitz MOCAA, which read:

"It is with profound sorrow that the trustees of Zeitz MOCAA announce the sudden passing of Koyo Kouoh, our beloved executive director and chief curator, on Saturday, 10 May 2025."

Besides being the executive director and chief curator at Zeitz MOCAA, Koyo was also the founding artistic director of a Dakar-based art center, Raw Material Company, which, according to her, had a huge impact on her. In an interview with The Financial Times, Kouoh said:

"Dakar made me who I am today. It’s the place I came of age professionally, where I really became a curator and an exhibition-maker."

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Tributes pour in after the unfortunate death of renowned art curator Koyo Kouoh

The prominent art curator, Koyo Kouoh, whose unfortunate death came as a shock to most people, specifically in the art world, was immensely respected and was hugely admired for her work. As the news of her death broke out, tributes poured in from all across the world. Georgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, talked about Koyo's impact and said:

"(Koyo's passing) leaves a void in the world of contemporary art."

A Nigerian visual artist, Otobong Nkanga, regarding the late art curator said:

"(Koyo was) a source of warmth, generosity and brilliance."

Whereas, Candice Breitz, the South African artist, described Koyo as:

"Magnificently intelligent, endlessly energetic and formidably elegant."