Kehinde Wiley Studio Inc is a renowned visual art studio based in Brooklyn, New York. Led by Los Angeles native and New York-based artist Kehinde Wiley, the studio specializes in portrait painting and has established itself within the tradition of art history. Wiley's contemporary approach to portraiture involves engaging with the visual language of power, majesty, and the sublime, particularly in his representation of urban, Black, and Brown men from around the world. His larger-than-life figures disrupt traditional tropes of portrait painting, blurring the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation and challenging societal perceptions of masculinity and physicality.
Wiley's practice initially focused on young men he encountered on the streets of Harlem, but it has since expanded to include models from various urban landscapes worldwide, such as Mumbai, Senegal, Dakar, and Rio de Janeiro. The subjects, dressed in their everyday clothing, assume poses inspired by historical paintings or sculptures that reflect the history of their surroundings. This juxtaposition of old and new creates a discourse that is both visceral and cerebral, addressing complex socio-political histories and positioning young Black and Brown men within the realm of power. Wiley's figurative paintings and sculptures quote historical sources while instilling a unique and contemporary style, provoking discussions on issues that are often overlooked or silenced.
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