Catching Up with Kehinde Wiley

This shows the relative size of many of the works.

Several years ago I tried to get artist Kehinde Wiley to speak at the NAEA conference in Fort Worth, but he was booked for years ahead. Yesterday my husband and I went to see his show at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. It is monumental and engaging, both in size and scope. If you live anywhere near Fort Worth, try to see it before the show ends. The final day is January 10. 

Kehinde Wiley is a fantastic contemporary artist to share with your students. Wiley was born in Los Angeles, earning a BFA from San Francisco Art Institute in 1999 and an MFA from Yale University in 2001. His works are in the collections of over 40 museums. Wiley is currently involved with multiple projects, including the making of a monumental painting for the Art in Embassies program to be installed in the new United States Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. On January 21, 2015, Wiley was presented the US State Department Medal of Arts.

This video on Wiley is from CB Sunday Morning. You can also learn more about the artist on the Museum's website. The artist's website is here.

The background patterns often float over the figure.

Wiley often finds his models on the street, in villages, or on the beach.

The detail is microscopic. 

Wiley definitely knows his art history. 

The exhibition includes portrait busts.

All of Wiley's figures stand tall and proud.

The exhibition also includes stained glass windows.

Other art historical references.

Using African fabric patterns for the background.