For the Classroom Teacher
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Kehinde Wiley Biography
1977 Born in Los Angeles, California
1999 BFA, San Francisco Art Institiute, San Grancisco, California
2001 MFA, Yale University, School of Art, New Haven, Connecticut
2002 Rema Hort Mann Foundation Grant
Artist-in-Residence Program, Studio Museum in Harlem, NYC
Like the hero of a children’s story, painter Kehinde Wiley grew up as one of six siblings raised with more love than money by a single mom who was an antiques dealer in South Central Los Angeles. His father, who works in architecture, was from Nigeria, and had left Wiley’s mom before he was born. At age 20, Wiley, then studying art in San Francisco, set out for that country’s largest city, Lagos, to find his dad—which he did, remarkably, by asking around. After about a month in Africa, Wiley returned to the U.S., where he started a series of portraits based on his father.That career has been going great guns since the spring of 2001, when Wiley, who had just earned his M.F.A. from Yale, moved to New York to participate in the Studio Museum’s residency program. Over the rest of that year, he began to choose his subjects from what he has called the “runway” of 125th Street. By granting them the ceremonial trappings of the historically rich and famous, he cast himself as the court painter of urban life. In 2005, that role became more literal when VH1 tapped him to immortalize such members of hip-hop royalty as LL Cool J, Ice-T and Biggie Smalls for an campaign advertising that year’s VH1 Hip-Hop Honors show. Ice-T said, ‘If anyone deserves to be Napoleon, it’s me.’ Accordingly, the rapper and Law & Order SVU star appears in a pastiche of Ingres’s 1806 coronation portrait of the French emperor, complete with golden throne and scepters.
To view all the VH1 paintings go to >>>
http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/hip_hop_honors/2005/art.jhtml
Kehinde Wiley, Dogon Couple, 2007
From " The World Stage" series
Purchased by and on exhibit at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
Over the last two years, Wiley has expanded his work by living and working abroad; he temporarily relocates to different countries and opens satellite studios to become familiar with local culture, history and art. His “The World Stage” series is the result of these travels.
"In “The World Stage: Africa Lagos-Dakar,” Wiley critiques the effects of African colonialism, transforms ordinary men into national icons. Yet his photorealistic portraits of young black men set against vibrantly patterned backgrounds derived from textile designs are also beautiful."
~By Dan R. Goddard - Express-News Staff Writer
~By Dan R. Goddard - Express-News Staff Writer
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Napoleon I on His Imperial Throne, 1806 Oil on canvas; 102 x 63 3/4 in. Musée de l'Armée, Paris
Kehinde Wiley, Ice T, 2005 Oil on canvas
243.8 x 182.9 cm (96 x 72 in)
Private collection, courtesy Rhona Hoffman Gallery
243.8 x 182.9 cm (96 x 72 in)
Private collection, courtesy Rhona Hoffman Gallery
View this video clip >>> http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/21284520
Classroom teachers -
Please encourage your students to research and find their own pre-1900s portrait painting, make a copy and bring it to art class the week of March 22-26. This is photography week!
Classroom teachers -
Please encourage your students to research and find their own pre-1900s portrait painting, make a copy and bring it to art class the week of March 22-26. This is photography week!
