Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence

by Claudia Schmuckli (Editor), Kehinde Wiley (Artist)

“That is the archaeology I am the specter of police violence and state control over the bodies of young Black and brown people all over the world.” –Kehinde Wiley Kehinde An Archaeology of Silence features a new body of paintings and sculptures by American artist Kehinde Wiley confronting the legacies of colonialism through the visual language of the fallen figure. It expands on a subject the artist first explored in his 2008 series Down ―a group of large-scale portraits of young Black men inspired by Wiley’s encounter with Hans Holbein the Younger’s The Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521–22) at the Kunstmuseum Basel. Holbein’s painting triggered an ongoing investigation into the iconography of death and sacrifice in Western art that Wiley traced across religious, mythological and historical subjects. An Archaeology of Silence extends these considerations to include men and women around the world whose senseless deaths, often unacknowledged or silenced, are transformed into a powerful elegy of global resistance against state-sanctioned violence. The resulting paintings of Black bodies struck down, wounded or dead, all referencing iconic historical paintings of slain heroes, martyrs or saints, offer a haunting meditation on the violence against Black and brown bodies through the lens of European art history.
Kehinde Wiley (born 1977) is a world-renowned visual artist. Working in the mediums of painting, sculpture and video, Wiley is best known for his vibrant portrayals of contemporary African American and African-diasporic individuals that subvert the hierarchies and conventions of European and American portraiture. Wiley became the first African American artist to paint an official US Presidential portrait for former US President Barack Obama. Wiley has held solo exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally, and his works are included in the collections of over 40 public institutions worldwide. He lives and works in Beijing, Dakar and New York.

Genres: Art

159 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

Reviews

[Debra Golden · Rating 4 out of 5]

great images of this recent body of work and connections with is source work

good to hear his motivations, inspiration, etc.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston until June 19th of 2024 (grab your suitcase and go), this superb eponymous exhibit overwhelms the viewer with the fragility and vulnerability of young Black men and women … beautifully lit to render the detail of these life-size, recumbent bronzes (accompanied by billboard-like easel paintings), the overall impression is almost one of a sacred space … if you were moved by Wiley’s portrait of President Obama, you will find yourself in tears with this new endeavour … absolutely stellar …

[Guthrie C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable and expansive tour of Kehinde Wiley’s eponymous exhibition as presented in Sam Francisco in 2023. Along with beautiful plates of every piece in the collection, essays by critics and Wiley himself provide enlightening commentary on the works. One the exhibition’s curators also created an appendix describing the historical art works referenced by Wiley in select pieces. A great large format coffee table book for fans of his work.

[Lihsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent companion to the Kehinde Wiley art exhibit, Archeology of Silence, giving valuable insight into the philosophy behind his artistic choices.

I spent quite some time studying the appendix of historical art pieces that spurned Wiley to create his art pieces.

[Jessica Whittemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative partner to the brilliant exhibit, including photos and descriptions of not only all the pieces from the exhibit, but also the reference/ inspiration pieces for Wiley.