Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley is a painter best known for his visually sumptuous, sensitive depictions of contemporary Black and Brown people. Using the pictorial language of classical portraiture, Wiley reframes a genre historically reserved for elite, White subjects, thereby subverting traditional views of power and reimagining long-held conventions. Without shying away from the complicated socio-political histories relevant to the world, Wiley’s figurative paintings and sculptures “quote historical sources and position young black men within the field of power.” His heroic paintings evoke a modern style instilling a unique and contemporary manner, awakening complex issues that many would prefer remain mute.