Wiley, Kehinde
1977-present · Contribution: 2001-present
Portrait painting; large-scale, vividly colored naturalistic portraits that place contemporary Black subjects in the heroic poses of European Old Master paintings, set against ornate decorative backgrounds
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Painted President Barack Obama's official National Portrait Gallery portrait (unveiled 2018) — the first Black artist to paint an official U.S. presidential portrait for the Smithsonian; his work re-examines power, race, and representation. Named to Time's 100 Most Influential People (2018).
Life & background
African-American painter born Feb 28, 1977 in Los Angeles, to a Nigerian (Ibibio) father and African American mother. BFA, San Francisco Art Institute; MFA, Yale (2001). Based in New York; founded the Black Rock Senegal artist residency in Dakar.
Sources
- Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery; Encyclopædia Britannica
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