A Maze of Power, featuring a series of portraits of African heads of state that I began working on in 2012. I designed these portraits to reflect the distinctive cultural elements of each State, thus highlighting the immense diversity of the African continent, and reveal the identity of each individual through the double prism of the artist and the model. The compositions allude to military portraiture of Britain and France during the periods in which African colonization was rampant. The history of power in Western Europe and the history of painting are so closely tied. Using this vocabulary of power, a conversation opened up around the history of portraiture in Western Europe and then turned more specifically to each head of State and how they want to be represented. I wanted to place Blackness and Africa at the intersection of this question about the interrogation of power in picture making. These paintings lay bare the contours of the ego, the diversity of possibilities in terms of taste and discernment, as well as the different communication strategies related to the construction of an image, both personal and public. A MAZE OF POWER @quaibranly Museum, Paris On view through January 14, 2024
A Maze of Power, featuring a series of portraits of African heads of state that I began working on in 2012. I designed these portraits to reflect the distinctive cultural elements of each State, thus highlighting the immense diversity of the African continent, and reveal the identity of each individual through the double prism of the artist and the model. The compositions allude to military portraiture of Britain and France during the periods in which African colonization was rampant. The history of power in Western Europe and the history of painting are so closely tied. Using this vocabulary of power, a conversation opened up around the history of portraiture in Western Europe and then turned more specifically to each head of State and how they want to be represented. I wanted to place Blackness and Africa at the intersection of this question about the interrogation of power in picture making. These paintings lay bare the contours of the ego, the diversity of possibilities in terms of taste and discernment, as well as the different communication strategies related to the construction of an image, both personal and public. A MAZE OF POWER @quaibranly Museum, Paris On view through January 14, 2024
A Maze of Power, featuring a series of portraits of African heads of state that I began working on in 2012. I designed these portraits to reflect the distinctive cultural elements of each State, thus highlighting the immense diversity of the African continent, and reveal the identity of each individual through the double prism of the artist and the model. The compositions allude to military portraiture of Britain and France during the periods in which African colonization was rampant. The history of power in Western Europe and the history of painting are so closely tied. Using this vocabulary of power, a conversation opened up around the history of portraiture in Western Europe and then turned more specifically to each head of State and how they want to be represented. I wanted to place Blackness and Africa at the intersection of this question about the interrogation of power in picture making. These paintings lay bare the contours of the ego, the diversity of possibilities in terms of taste and discernment, as well as the different communication strategies related to the construction of an image, both personal and public. A MAZE OF POWER @quaibranly Museum, Paris On view through January 14, 2024
A Maze of Power, featuring a series of portraits of African heads of state that I began working on in 2012. I designed these portraits to reflect the distinctive cultural elements of each State, thus highlighting the immense diversity of the African continent, and reveal the identity of each individual through the double prism of the artist and the model. The compositions allude to military portraiture of Britain and France during the periods in which African colonization was rampant. The history of power in Western Europe and the history of painting are so closely tied. Using this vocabulary of power, a conversation opened up around the history of portraiture in Western Europe and then turned more specifically to each head of State and how they want to be represented. I wanted to place Blackness and Africa at the intersection of this question about the interrogation of power in picture making. These paintings lay bare the contours of the ego, the diversity of possibilities in terms of taste and discernment, as well as the different communication strategies related to the construction of an image, both personal and public. A MAZE OF POWER @quaibranly Museum, Paris On view through January 14, 2024
My solo exhibition HAVANA opens tomorrow at Sean Kelly, New York! There will be an opening reception on Thursday, April 27 from 6-8pm. The exhibition features new paintings, works on paper, and a three-channel film, all inspired by my focus on the evolution of Black culture globally. The body of work explores the phenomenon of the carnivalesque in Western culture, referencing artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Calder, and Western European depictions of the carnivalesque, the circus, and the power of street performance and dance. The artworks in the exhibition create a timeline in which political realities, economic hardship, artistic freedom, and the thirst for self-discovery become the catalyst for exploring a nation and culture through painting. The film, installed in the lower gallery, features interviews and performances by members of Races Profundas, giving insight into the journey through time of Cuba’s rich cultural history. Through this exhibition, I seek to amplify Afro-Caribbean survival strategies and celebrates the youth, vibrancy, and broader evolution of Black culture. #kehindewiley @seankellygallery
My solo exhibition HAVANA opens tomorrow at Sean Kelly, New York! There will be an opening reception on Thursday, April 27 from 6-8pm. The exhibition features new paintings, works on paper, and a three-channel film, all inspired by my focus on the evolution of Black culture globally. The body of work explores the phenomenon of the carnivalesque in Western culture, referencing artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Calder, and Western European depictions of the carnivalesque, the circus, and the power of street performance and dance. The artworks in the exhibition create a timeline in which political realities, economic hardship, artistic freedom, and the thirst for self-discovery become the catalyst for exploring a nation and culture through painting. The film, installed in the lower gallery, features interviews and performances by members of Races Profundas, giving insight into the journey through time of Cuba’s rich cultural history. Through this exhibition, I seek to amplify Afro-Caribbean survival strategies and celebrates the youth, vibrancy, and broader evolution of Black culture. #kehindewiley @seankellygallery
After Watson and the Shark 2022 Oil on linen 108 1/4 x 90 1/2 inches #kehindewiley
After Watson and the Shark 2022 Oil on linen 108 1/4 x 90 1/2 inches #kehindewiley
After Watson and the Shark 2022 Oil on linen 108 1/4 x 90 1/2 inches #kehindewiley
After Watson and the Shark 2022 Oil on linen 108 1/4 x 90 1/2 inches #kehindewiley
Portrait of Tunji Adeniyi-Jones oil on linen 8’x9’ 2023 @tunjiaj
Portrait of Tunji Adeniyi-Jones oil on linen 8’x9’ 2023 @tunjiaj
Portrait of Mominatu Boog 2023 Oil on linen 72 x 60 inches #kehindewiley
Portrait of Mominatu Boog 2023 Oil on linen 72 x 60 inches #kehindewiley
My solo exhibition HAVANA opens at Sean Kelly, New York! There will be an opening reception on Thursday, April 27 from 6-8pm. The exhibition features new paintings, works on paper, and a three-channel film, all inspired by my focus on the evolution of Black culture globally. The body of work explores the phenomenon of the carnivalesque in Western culture, referencing artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, Calder, and Western European depictions of the carnivalesque, the circus, and the power of street performance and dance. The artworks in the exhibition create a timeline in which political realities, economic hardship, artistic freedom, and the thirst for self-discovery become the catalyst for exploring a nation and culture through painting. The film, installed in the lower gallery, features interviews and performances by members of Races Profundas, giving insight into the journey through time of Cuba’s rich cultural history. Through this exhibition, I seek to amplify Afro-Caribbean survival strategies and celebrates the youth, vibrancy, and broader evolution of Black culture.
With Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, a Nigerian retired military officer and statesman who served as Nigeria’s head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its president from 1999 to 2007.
With Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, a Nigerian retired military officer and statesman who served as Nigeria’s head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its president from 1999 to 2007.
“An Archaeology of Silence” opens November 16 Museum of Fine Arts Houston #kehindewiley @mfahouston
🔥We are thrilled to announce our upcoming 2023-2024 class 🔥 CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME to: Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola (@heyitsbunmi); Kwabena Sekyi Appiah-Nti (@Sekyii); Ousmane Bâ (@ousmane_the1st); Lilah Benetti (@easylilah); Nicolas Lambelet Coleman (@nicolaslcoleman); Makhone Diop (@makhonediop); Souleye Fall (@papsouleye00); Timothy Hunter (@yanickhunter); Christina Kimeze (@itskimeze); Ange-Frédéric Koffi (@colligit.truncis); Chase Alexander Johnson (@chetheaquarian); Ambrose Rhapsody Murray (@01.ambrose) Samuel Nnorom (@nnoromsamuel); Maurice Carlos Ruffin (@mauriceruffin); Ardeshir Tabrizi (@ardeshirtabrizi1); Keith Tutt II (@keithtuttii). THANK YOU to our incredible selection committee: Tunji Adeniyi-Jones (@tunjiaj); Osei Bonsu (@oseibonsu_); Kimberly Drew (@museummammy); Larry Ossei-Mensah (@larryosseimensah); Antwaun Sargent (@sirsargent); Adam Weinberg.
JUST DROPPED | Limited Edition Osei Leather Soccer Ball – a tribute to artistry and athleticism. Our meticulously crafted genuine leather soccer ball features intricately extracted floral details from Kehinde Wiley’s 2018 painting, Portrait of Yvonne Osei. The Osei Soccer Ball comes with a custom made oiled walnut plinth with a laser cut Kehinde Wiley signature. Only 500 available. Ships Early December. Net proceeds from your purchase support the artist-in-residence program Black Rock Sénégal, founded by Wiley in 2019.
JUST DROPPED | Limited Edition Osei Leather Soccer Ball – a tribute to artistry and athleticism. Our meticulously crafted genuine leather soccer ball features intricately extracted floral details from Kehinde Wiley’s 2018 painting, Portrait of Yvonne Osei. The Osei Soccer Ball comes with a custom made oiled walnut plinth with a laser cut Kehinde Wiley signature. Only 500 available. Ships Early December. Net proceeds from your purchase support the artist-in-residence program Black Rock Sénégal, founded by Wiley in 2019.
JUST DROPPED | Limited Edition Osei Leather Soccer Ball – a tribute to artistry and athleticism. Our meticulously crafted genuine leather soccer ball features intricately extracted floral details from Kehinde Wiley’s 2018 painting, Portrait of Yvonne Osei. The Osei Soccer Ball comes with a custom made oiled walnut plinth with a laser cut Kehinde Wiley signature. Only 500 available. Ships Early December. Net proceeds from your purchase support the artist-in-residence program Black Rock Sénégal, founded by Wiley in 2019.
JUST DROPPED | Limited Edition Osei Leather Soccer Ball – a tribute to artistry and athleticism. Our meticulously crafted genuine leather soccer ball features intricately extracted floral details from Kehinde Wiley’s 2018 painting, Portrait of Yvonne Osei. The Osei Soccer Ball comes with a custom made oiled walnut plinth with a laser cut Kehinde Wiley signature. Only 500 available. Ships Early December. Net proceeds from your purchase support the artist-in-residence program Black Rock Sénégal, founded by Wiley in 2019.
JUST DROPPED | Limited Edition Osei Leather Soccer Ball – a tribute to artistry and athleticism. Our meticulously crafted genuine leather soccer ball features intricately extracted floral details from Kehinde Wiley’s 2018 painting, Portrait of Yvonne Osei. The Osei Soccer Ball comes with a custom made oiled walnut plinth with a laser cut Kehinde Wiley signature. Only 500 available. Ships Early December. Net proceeds from your purchase support the artist-in-residence program Black Rock Sénégal, founded by Wiley in 2019.
