Kehinde Wiley, an American artist, presents new work in which he examines the European landscape heritage through video and painting.
Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977) is most recognized for his magnificent portraits of African Americans that make subtle parallels to the great European tradition of painting. In 2017, he was commissioned to paint Barack Obama, making him the first Black artist to paint an official portrait of a US president. His work alludes to ancient master paintings by placing current Black sitters in the poses of the original historical figures, addressing questions about power and identity, as well as the absence or marginalization of Black and minority-ethnic individuals in European art.
Wiley will break from portraiture for his first collaboration with a major UK gallery, exploring the European landscape tradition through the mediums of film and painting, casting Black Londoners from the streets of Soho. His new works will explore European Romanticism and its emphasis on epic panoramas of oceans and mountains, drawing inspiration from classics in landscape and seascape at the National Gallery.