Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley is a well-known modern artist whose works frequently feature depictions of black people that highlight their inherent attractiveness and unique cultural identities. Wiley, a native of Los Angeles, earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute and his Master of Fine Arts from Yale University.

Wiley often uses large-scale portraits to challenge the cultural and historical inequalities that have kept black people out of art history narratives by depicting them in stances reminiscent of conventional European portraiture. He is influenced by hip-hop and other urban cultures as well as classical paintings and uses bold colors and patterns in his work.