‘Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence’ premieres at the de Young

“That is the archaeology 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 Portrait painter Kehinde Wiley’s An Archaeology of Silence is a new, monumental body of work having its U.S. premiere at the de Young. The 26 works stand as elegies and monuments to young Black people all over the world killed in acts of systemic violence. Black bodies are rendered in lush, baroque paintings and sculpture as a meditation created during the Covid-19 era and inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. A MODERN TAKE ON TRADITIONAL PORTRAITURE Born in Los Angeles and a BFA graduate from the San Francisco Art Institute, Kehinde Wiley’s portraits render people of color in the traditio... Read More