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Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley (1977) is known for painting members from urban neighborhoods in very regal settings. While traditionally, the people in Wiley’s paintings would be looked at as troublemakers or “shady” characters, Wiley’s work helped paint them in a lighter light. Seeing them float around on clouds and be painted in such vivid colors allows the audience to be more comfortable with their image.
The reason this painting stood out to me was that it was a painting I found myself relating to. Often, we find that we make hasty judgments on people based off their appearances. Every day walking down the street, walking into class, walking into a store, anywhere. I found Wiley’s work a refreshing way to slowly break down our stereotypes and make us more comfortable with all types of people, from all demographics. It was humorous to see men who would traditionally be called “scary” floating around on clouds, being giddy and energetic, and it was an image that will stay with me for a long time to come.