Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence
American artist Kehinde Wiley confronts the silence surrounding systemic violence against Black people through the visual language of the fallen figure.
In Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence, the senseless deaths of men and women around the world are transformed into a powerful elegy of resistance. The paintings of figures struck down, wounded, or dead, reference iconic paintings of mythical heroes, martyrs, and saints, and offer a haunting meditation on the legacies of colonialism and systemic racism.
How Kehinde Wiley Is Reshaping the Monumental
Explore the life and work of artist Kehinde Wiley.
That is the archeology I am unearthing: The specter of police violence and state control over the bodies of young Black and Brown people all over the world — Kehinde Wiley
Christian Martyr Tarcisius (2022) by Kehinde Wileyde Young museum
Christian Martyr Tarcisius (El Hadji Malick Gueye), 2022
Christian Martyr Tarcisius (2022) by Kehinde Wileyde Young museum
The powerful use of light here draws our attention to this man’s lowered eyelids and clasped hands, making us feel we’re in the presence of intense suffering, or prayer. — Abram Jackson, director of interpretation, FAMSF
Dying Gaul, after a Roman Sculpture of the 1st century (2021) by Kehinde Wileyde Young museum
Dying Gaul, after a Roman sculpture of the 1st century, 2021
Dying Gaul, after a Roman Sculpture of the 1st century (2021) by Kehinde Wileyde Young museum
Gazing downward, his arm braced on his leg, this young man embodies quiet strength. Self-possession. — Abram Jackson, director of interpretation, FAMSF
Woman Bitten by a Serpent (Mamadou Gueye) (2022) by Kehinde Wileyde Young museum
Femme piquée par un serpent (Mamadou Gueye), 2022
Painting by Kehinde Wiley (2022) by Kehinde Wileyde Young museum
When the models are rendered on the scale of billboards, and we look at them . . . really towering over us, then the idea of their suffering or their pain, or their grief, or their death is automatically catapulted into a much broader context. — Claudia Schmuckli, curator, FAMSF
Hear from Kehinde Wiley and local activists in the audio tour of Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence. This tour is made possible by the generous support of Google.org.
Rest as resistance in Kehinde Wiley’s work
Dr. Akilah Cadet, founder and CEO of Change Cadet, on how Black women are choosing rest.
Sink In (2023-07-23) by Angela Hennessyde Young museum
Sink In: A Meditation
Inspired by Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence, this restorative meditation by artist and writer Angela Hennessy invites you to settle, sink in, and return to the edge of the sea.
Kehinde Wiley Speaker Series
Developed in collaboration with Pastor Mike McBride and Sherrie Deans of Live Free USA, the Kehinde Wiley Speaker Series brought together some of the biggest names in culture, art, sports, and activism. Through panels, performances, and collective healing practices, the series offered a platform to those most impacted by state-sanctioned violence and a framework for understanding the intersections of art, suffering, and healing. Watch the livestreams:
Kehinde Wiley Conversation on a Father’s Heart
Kehinde Wiley Conversation on a Mother’s Love
Kehinde Wiley Conversation on Sex, Gender + Identity
Black August Forever
Our Shared Struggle: The International Imperative for Repair
Resources
Organizing + advocacy
Anti Police-Terror Project
BElovedBIRTH Black Centering
Black Infant Health
Black Organizing Project
Catalyst Project
Critical Resistance Oakland
Ella Baker Center
Essie Justice Project
San Francisco Human Rights Commission
Grief + mental health
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
Mental Health First Oakland
National Alliance on Mental Illness San Francisco
Therapy for Black Girls
Therapy for Black Men
Urban Health Group
Education
The Black Teacher Project
Center for Political Education
The Oscar Grant Foundation
Prisoners Literature Project
The San Francisco Bay View
See Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence at the de Young museum March 18 through October 15, 2023.
All images © Kehinde Wiley. Courtesy of Galerie Templon, Paris. Photography: Ugo Carmeni.
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