Kehinde Wiley Los Ángeles, Estados Unidos, b. 1977
Portrait of Jazon Ralph , 2018
Oil on canvas
183 x 152 cm
72 1/8 x 59 7/8 in
72 1/8 x 59 7/8 in
© 2018 Kehinde Wiley / Courtesy Fundación AMMA
Photo: Sergio Ortiz
Further images
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 1
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 2
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 3
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 4
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 5
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 6
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 7
)
-
(View a larger image of thumbnail 8
)
-
A portrait of a young man whose casual attire contrasts with the painting's background—a floral pattern reminiscent of wallpaper that alludes to European pictorial conventions. The subject poses with a regal air and holds a baton of authority.
Wiley’s work raises questions about race, gender, and the politics of representation by portraying contemporary African American men and women through the conventions of traditional European portraiture. Wiley’s signature portraits replace the European aristocrats found in such paintings with people of African descent, thereby highlighting their absence from historical and cultural narratives. The figures in his work wear hoodies, caps, and clothing associated with street or hip-hop culture, contrasting with the ornamental, European-style backgrounds.
Wiley’s work raises questions about race, gender, and the politics of representation by portraying contemporary African American men and women through the conventions of traditional European portraiture. Wiley’s signature portraits replace the European aristocrats found in such paintings with people of African descent, thereby highlighting their absence from historical and cultural narratives. The figures in his work wear hoodies, caps, and clothing associated with street or hip-hop culture, contrasting with the ornamental, European-style backgrounds.