Marie-Cécile Zinsou was born in 1982. She is the President of the Zinsou Foundation that she founded in June 2005 in Benin. The Zinsou Foundation aims to promote contemporary art in Africa and leads cultural, educational and social actions. So far the foundation has hosted 32 exhibitions and has received six million visitors. It houses 6 libraries, an exhibition space, and a museum.

Marie-Cécile is a member of the board of the Château de Versailles, the Institute of Islamic Culture in Paris and the Maison Maria Casares.

In 2014, the Zinsou Foundation was the recipient of the grant for young artists of the Japanese Praemium Imperiale. Marie-Cécile Zinsou is Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters).