Like many African American portraitists, Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley represent the Obamas as themselves, and as more than themselves.
Kehinde Wiley
Posted inArt
Searching for Trends at the Armory Show with Empty Pockets and a Drink in Hand
The strength of the Armory Show — now in its 24th year — is that, just like a mall, I know exactly what to expect when I go there.
Posted inNews
Obamas Open Up About Their Newly Unveiled Official Portraits
At the unveiling this morning, Michelle Obama spoke about her “instant connection” with Amy Sherald, while Barack Obama said he asked Kehinde Wiley “to bring it down just a touch.”
Posted inIn Brief
Official Obama Portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald Were Just Unveiled
The long-awaited portraits were presented at a ceremony today at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The internet was quick to respond.
Posted inIn Brief
Artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald Chosen to Paint Official Obama Portraits for the Smithsonian
Next year the portraits of the Obamas will enter the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and judging by the choice of artists they’re sure to be impressive.
Posted inOpinion
Which Artist Should Create Obama’s Official Presidential Portrait?
In a perfect world, who would be the artist that captures the likeness of Obama for his official portrait?
Posted inArt
Kehinde Wiley’s Pantheon of Black Artists
In his new show at Sean Kelly Gallery, the artist has begun to create a register of contemporary black visual artists.
Posted inArt
The Queer Art that Helped Define Post-Blackness
In his collection of essays, Derek Conrad Murray explores questions of post-blackness by drawing on the artworks of Glenn Ligon, Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, and Kalup Linzy.
Posted inArt
A Sprawling Show of Artists as Social Critics
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Spanning several media, much of the work in Us Is Them makes social commentary from the perspective of underrepresented populations. Notably, the show features some of the biggest names in contemporary African-American art, bringing the focus on the fraught nature of black existence in the US.
Posted inArt
Three Museums Come Together to Tell a History of African American Art
MUSKEGON, Mich. — Common Ground, the Muskegon Museum of Art’s current exhibition of African American art, combines works from three regional Michigan collections: the Muskegon museum, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and the Flint Institute of Arts.
Posted inArt
Finding Jesus, “YOUR MOM,” and Other Surprises at the 2016 Armory Show
The 2016 edition of the Armory Show art fair opens to the public tomorrow, but already during today’s preview piers 92 and 94 were crawling with collectors, curators, and critics.
Posted inArt
Kehinde Wiley Paints the Precariousness of Black Life
Much has been made of the current Kehinde Wiley retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum.