Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence

Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977) has dedicated the past twenty years of his artistic career to uplifting the beauty and power of Black people by painting them into compositions inspired by well-known European and American portraits of royal, aristocratic, and military people as well as iconic representations of religious figures. In his latest project, An Archaeology of Silence (2021-2022), Wiley counters the dehumanizing portrayal of Black people propagated by the new media and in popular culture by endowing his subjects with dignity and humanity, echoing canonical depictions of white suffering. Featuring full-spread illustrations of the artworks, insightful essays, and a first-person text by the artist, the book highlights this critically important body of work, which stands as a powerful elegy to the victims and survivors of systemic violence.

Contributors: Claudia Schmuckli, Valerie Cassel Oliver, Emil Wilbekin, and Janna Keegan

Hardcover, 159 pages