LOS ANGELES, CA.- Artist Kehinde Wiley-who transforms the conventions of historic portraiture in an exploration of power, status and contemporary urban life-will speak on April 2 at the
Getty Center about his art work and his current project "The World Stage: Brazil."
Wiley is known for his stylized paintings of young, urban African American men in poses borrowed from European portraits. Over the last three years, Wiley has expanded his perspective by living and working abroad, temporarily relocating to different countries and opening satellite studios to become familiar with local culture, history and art. He created The World Stage series as an artistic response to these travel experiences. "The World Stage: Brazil " is the most recent manifestation of that project.
Wiley received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1999 and an MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2001 before becoming an artist in residence at the Studio Museum . His work is represented in the collections of several museums, including the Walker Art Center , Minneapolis ; Brooklyn Museum ; Denver Art Museum and Virginia Museum of Fine Art. Recently, his work has been featured in exhibitions in Belgium , Los Angeles , Chicago , Ohio , and New York .