In an upscale neighborhood of Douala, Cameroon, a crowd gathered outside Bwo Gallery, eager to see its inaugural show and Central Africa’s newest platform for contemporary art.

Koyo Kouoh, one of the art world's leading figures and a fierce advocate of African creatives, has died aged 57. A Cameroon-born curator, Kouoh had been at the height of her career.

Koyo Kouoh, who has died aged 57, was one of the art world's leading figures and a fierce advocate of African creatives. A Cameroon-born curator, Kouoh had been at the height of her career.

This is really, because I feel like 80 percent of the visuals that we see in mainstream media is about famine, war, problems. 20 percent maybe is safari and folklore, but modern dynamic Africa ...

Aimed at fueling opportunities for African fashion talents, the initiative entails six masterclasses offered to graduating students and alumni of the art and creative school in the African country.

Only the second African to head the Biennale after the late Nigerian art critic Okwui Enwezor, who took the reins in 2015, Kouoh is a champion of Pan-Africanism.

The artwork, too, is drawn from across the continent: with contributions from 13 visual artists from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Benin to Togo, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal and Kenya.

Koyo Kouoh, CEO and chief curator of Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, has died in Switzerland. She was 57. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in South Africa, confirmed her passing ...

The Swiss-Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh has been appointed the first African woman to lead the Venice Biennale, one of the world’s most important contemporary art shows. The 57-year-old Kouoh ...

Koyo Kouoh, who has died aged 57, was one of the art world's leading figures and a fierce advocate of African creatives. A Cameroon-born curator, Kouoh had been at the height of her career.