Kehinde Wiley is an American portrait painter based in New York City, who is known for his highly naturalistic paintings of African Americans, frequently referencing the work of Old Master paintings. He was commissioned in 2017 to paint a portrait of former President Barack Obama for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, which has portraits of all previous American presidents. The Columbus Museum of Art, which hosted an exhibition of his work in 2007, describes his work as follows: "Wiley has gained recent acclaim for his heroic portraits which address the image and status of young African-American men in contemporary culture." Wiley was included in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2018.
| Born: | February 28, 1977, Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality: | American |
| Alma mater: | San Francisco Art Institute, Yale University |
| Known for: | Painting |
| Twitter: | Kehinde Wiley's Twitter profile |
| Facebook: | Kehinde Wiley's Facebook profile |
| IMDb: | Kehinde Wiley's IMDb |
About Kehinde Wiley
American painter whose portraits of African-Americans in valiant poses have won him recognition from institutions like the United Federation of Teachers, who named him the Artist of the Year in 2011. His work has been displayed in venues like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Kehinde Wiley Before Fame
He attended an art school in Russia at age 12. He earned an MFA from Yale University in 2001.
Achievement of Kehinde Wiley
In 2011, his paintings were featured on the tops of 500 taxi cabs in New York City.
Kehinde Wiley Family Life
His father is Nigerian and his mother is African-American.
Associations of Kehinde Wiley
His painting Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps is based on Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps.
Information related to Kehinde Wiley
- Los Angeles County High School for the Arts alumni
- Yoruba artists
- San Francisco Art Institute alumni
- American portrait painters
- Twin people from the United States