Remember that striking portrait of President Barack Obama in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery? The one in which he is seated, surrounded by a lusciously dense forest?
That stunning work was painted by world-renowned artist Kehinde Wiley. And the Hunter Museum is excited to announce that they have acquired their very own Kehinde Wiley painting.
In addition to being the first African American to paint a presidential portrait (in 2018), Wiley has made an international impact with his intricate paintings of everyday people in majestic settings, challenging art historical narratives and bringing complex racial and class structures to the forefront. He recreates paintings found in art history books with ordinary people as the subjects, thus taking the invisible and anonymous and incorporating them into a history from which they have been absent.
Featured in GQ, The New York Times, and Time magazine, Kehinde Wiley has gained international acclaim with solo exhibitions held throughout the United States and internationally, and his works are included in the collections of over 50 public institutions around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY, the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, CA.
But wait, there’s more.
The Hunter has also recently acquired works by other internationally acclaimed artists, including a stunning pastel and charcoal portrait by Nigerian American artist Toyin Odutola, a 7.5-foot-tall ceramic sculpture by Native American artist Rose B. Simpson, and a massive installation by African American artist Sanford Biggers. They are thrilled to be adding such important works to the Hunter’s permanent collection to be shared with our community and museum visitors.
The public is invited to join them on March 28th at 6pm to celebrate the unveiling of these incredible additions to the Hunter’s permanent collection. The evening will feature music and dance performances, docent tours of our modern galleries, and activities for all ages. Generous support for this free event is provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.