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# Kehinde Wiley Paints Santigold
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/kehinde-wiley-santigold/
- Published: 2012-03-02T01:32:56.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:46:15.000Z
- Description: I'm as big a a fan of Santigold as anyone, “L.E.S. Artistes” (2008) may be one of my favorite songs by her, but her new cover is of particular interest to the art set.
- Author: Hrag Vartanian
- Tags: Opinion, Kehinde Wiley, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:51 (2012, 2013, part 1)

I’m as big a a fan of [Santigold](http://www.santigold.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com) as anyone, “[L.E.S. Artistes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCeZzW54a2o&ref=hyperallergic.com)” (2008) is a good song and video, but her new album cover (*posted below*) is of particular interest to the art set. Painted by [Kehinde Wiley](http://www.kehindewiley.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com), the painting on the cover is typical Wiley but with an interesting twist, this is the first time he’s painted a female subject. Typically known for his paintings of young African-American men surrounded by the trappings of historic European painting, this is something new.

On the album cover Santigold (aka Santi White) is depicted three different times: as a mafia don, as Bond girls wearing gold outfits designed by Alexander Wang, and in Wiley’s painting based on Sir Joshua Reynold’s “Portrait of Sir Banastre Tarleton” (1782).

I’m not normally a big Wiley fan but this appears to be a good style choice by Santigold. The album, “The Master of My Make-Believe” is in stores on May 1.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/03/12oz-santigold-albumcover-cover.jpg "12oz-Santigold-AlbumCover-Cover")