Kehinde Wiley: Rumors of War

Hanging around Times Square in October I ran into this sculpture on display en route to its permanent new home at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

I admire Kehinde Wiley. His art practice, his voice, and the body of work he’s building. This feels like a brash response to the Confederate monuments that have been at the heart of discussions about cultural identity and representation in recent years.

From painting the official presidential portrait of Barack Obama (more on that in another post) to opening an elegant studio and artists residence in Dakar, Senegal and offering artist’s residencies—he is using his platform to shape art.

I especially enjoy how he takes the vocabulary of classical painting and subverts it through his choice of subject matter. You can see more work on his Instagram page here.

It’s a monumental equestrian sculpture, and an event.