export_ofoct.com

[00:00.67] Kehinde Wiley is a well-known and influential American artist.

[00:09.45] His paintings and sculptures are the subject of art shows around the United States.

[00:16.88] The 46-year-old Wiley seems especially busy right now.

[00:23.79] His work is currently on display at shows on both the East and West coasts of the U.S.

[00:33.35] He has another show in Paris, France. And he is expanding artistic bases in Africa.

[00:43.17] Wiley shot to fame outside of the art world a few years ago, after he painted an official presidential portrait. It was historic. Wiley was the first Black artist to be commissioned for the work.

[01:04.16] He painted America’s first Black president, Barack Obama.

[01:10.80] In Wiley’s painting, Obama sits in a simple chair, his arms crossed, his body leaned a bit forward.

[01:21.42] Surrounding him is a colorful explosion of natural elements, like flowers and greenery.

[01:30.73] It was a powerful and untraditional representation for an historic presidency.

[01:43.47] Wiley said he is very proud of that work, noting the importance of that time in history.

[01:49.84] “I wonder if I will ever be able to do anything that lives up to the gravity of that moment,” he said.

[01:57.55] “Everybody wants to be seen in a number of different contexts ... but I mean, what a great project to be involved in.”

[02:08.71] There is no shortage of new projects for Wiley.

[02:13.22] In March, Wiley was at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, California, for the U.S opening of Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence.

[02:28.62] It is a powerful mix of some of Wiley’s huge paintings and sculptures that explore anti-Black violence worldwide.

[02:38.99] The museum has set up quiet spaces for attendees who need a break from the intensity of the show.

[02:48.55] On the other side of the country, Wiley also recently opened his show HAVANA at New York City's art space Sean Kelly.

[03:01.04] The show centers on circus performers and carnival street dancers in Cuba.

[03:11.13] In between, the artist traveled to Africa.

[03:12.72] He is building an artist center in Calabar, Nigeria.

[03:18.30] Black Rock Nigeria will be his second artist center on the continent.

[03:25.47] Wiley is also at work on a new portrait show that centers on Black heads of state.

[03:33.71] That show is to open in September at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris.

[03:43.27] Wiley describes a kind of rhythm to his moving about the planet, visiting “extraordinary” places.

[03:50.97] He said he is always “hungry for new experiences."

[03:56.28] HAVANA, Wiley’s show in New York, closes June 17.

[04:02.13] San Francisco’s Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence will run through October 15.