Kehinde Wiley, Femme Piquée par un Serpent (Mamadou Gueye), 2022. Oil on canvas, 131 7/8 x 300 in. (335 x 762 cm), framed: 143 5/16 x 311 x 3 15/16 in. (364 x 790 x 10 cm). EX1137.2. ©️ Kehinde Wiley. Courtesy of Galerie Templon, Paris. Photo: Ugo Carmeni
Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence
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American artist Kehinde Wiley’s new body of paintings and sculptures confronts the silence surrounding systemic violence against Black people through the visual language of the fallen figure. It expands on his 2008 series, Down — a group of large-scale portraits of young Black men inspired by Hans Holbein the Younger’s The Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521–1522). Wiley investigates the iconography of death and sacrifice in Western art, tracing it across religious, mythological, and historical subjects. In An Archaeology of Silence, the senseless deaths of men and women around the world are transformed into a powerful elegy of resistance. The resulting paintings of figures struck down, wounded, or dead, referencing iconic paintings of mythical heroes, martyrs, and saints, offer a haunting meditation on the legacies of colonialism and systemic racism.
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Exploring the life and work of artist Kehinde Wiley, this film takes viewers on a journey from Wiley’s upbringing in South Central Los Angeles to his ascent as one of the world’s most iconic visual artists. It features interviews with the artist, his twin brother Taiwo Wiley, and his close friend and fellow artist Mickalene Thomas.
How Kehinde Wiley Is Reshaping the Monumental
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This exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
Presenting Sponsors
Generous Support
The Harris Family
Charles and Brandi Hudson
Kaitlyn and Mike Krieger
Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman
Sonya Yu
Additional support is provided by the Adamolekun Family, Lisa Blackwell, Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan, Delvecchio and Kelly Finley, Bryan and Tara Meehan, Elaine A. Mellis, The Plexo Foundation, Soho House, Lisa and Jim Zanze, and the Contemporary Support Council.
Free admission on select weekends is generously underwritten by Google.org. Year-round, Free Saturdays admission for Bay Area residents is generously underwritten by Diane B. Wilsey and programming is supported by the Koret Foundation and Wells Fargo.