Black History Month: Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley
(b. 1977)

Kehinde Wiley is primarily known for his elegant portraits of black and brown people all over the world. He comes from a long line of portraitists. Wiley blurs the lines of traditional and contemporary portrait styles by putting people in settings that would not make sense. He applies glorification, wealth, and prestige to force mystery and interest in his pieces. He started by basing his portraits on photographs of young men found on the streets of Harlem. Once his practice grew, he moved on to different international countries. He has explored Israel, China, Senegal, Brazil, Jamaica, and many others. These portraits became a large work called The World Stage. The models wear their everyday clothing and are asked to assume poses found in paintings and sculptures representative of their colonial history.