Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2018, American painter Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977) is one of the most widely recognized artists of his generation, best known for re-creating Old Masters works with contemporary Black subjects.
Take, for instance, his large-scale masterpiece Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps (2005): The painting is nearly identical in both composition and name to Jacques-Louis David’s Bonaparte Crossing the Alps (1800–1), but instead of the French general posed atop a rearing horse, it’s a modern-day Black man, dressed in fatigues and Timberland boots, against a decorative patterned backdrop. Through such paintings and sculptures, Wiley engages in a political act, acknowledging the omission of Black and other nonwhite figures from historical and cultural narratives — especially as seen through the lens of European portraiture — and introducing them as heroes in poses and positions of power.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Wiley discovered his talents as a photorealistic portrait painter as a child, refining them at the San Francisco Art Institute, where he earned his BFA, and at the Yale University School of Art, where he earned his MFA. His art draws from a range of influences; while his paintings are most associated with Old Master portraits, particularly in the Venitian tradition of Titian and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Wiley often sets his subjects in front of ornate patterned backgrounds that reference African textiles and Islamic architecture. In 2017, the artist was commissioned by President Barack Obama to paint his official portrait to hang in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Wiley has garnered numerous accolades, including the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts, the Brooklyn Museum Asher B. Durand Award for Artistic Achievement, the American Federation for Arts Cultural Leadership Award and the Pratt Legend Award. His works can be found in the collections of acclaimed institutions around the world, including the Brooklyn Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; Walker Art Center in Minneapolis; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Zabludowicz Collection in London.
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2010s Realist Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Lithograph, Offset
Early 2000s Realist Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Cotton, Mixed Media, Screen
2010s Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Archival Ink, Inkjet
2010s Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Wood, Screen, Permanent Marker, Mixed Media
1970s Realist Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Paper, Giclée
1990s Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Lithograph, Offset, Permanent Marker
1980s Realist Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Lithograph
2010s Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Archival Paper, Digital Pigment, Color, Digital, Laser, Pigment, Screen,...
20th Century Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Screen, Mixed Media, Paper
2010s Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Archival Paper, Screen, Color, Digital, Laser, Giclée, Archival Pigment,...
1970s Realist Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Lithograph
1990s Realist Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Laid Paper, Screen
2010s Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Digital
20th Century Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Mixed Media, Screen
2010s Contemporary Kehinde Wiley Figurative Prints
Archival Paper, Screen, Color, Digital, Laser, Giclée, Archival Pigment,...
Kehinde Wiley figurative prints for sale on 1stDibs.
Artists Similar to Kehinde Wiley
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Kehinde Wiley is an African American painter known for realistic portraits of people in heroic defeat or triumph. His photo-realistic paintings use a range of references from classical paintings to pop culture. He is best known for his paintings, but he has delved into bronze sculpture as well. Shop a selection of Kehinde Wiley pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024Kehinde Wiley's most famous portrait is arguably of Barack Obama. In 2018, the American artist received a commission to paint the 44th President of the United States. Wiley’s depiction shows Obama surrounded by what are intentionally several types of flowers. The flowers represent Kenya, his father's birthplace; Hawaii, the president's own birthplace; and Chicago, where Obama lived and worked. Other well-known works by Wiley include Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, Judith and Holofernes, A New Republic and Femme Piquée Par Un Serpent. Explore a variety of Kehinde Wiley art on 1stDibs.