Kehinde Wiley is a contemporary artist working out of New York City. He is a traditional figurative-realist painter that uses average New Yorkers as his models.
(Kehinde Wiley)
Wiley is heavily influenced by art history, modeling his figures and poses from historical paintings. What Wiley does though, is substitute the historical figures with African-American men.
(Napoleon leading the army over the alps)
This is Wiley's way to shift a balance of power in the direction of people who are typically outcasts and ignored by society. Wiley understands that most young, black, men that are shown in pop-culture are only shown in stereotypical roles and uses his paintings to elevate them by showing them in place of kings and other leaders. Let me know what you guys think of his work and if you think his art actually does what he wants it to!
-Bustamante
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