There's something really cool about taking oily coloured paste and pushing it around with these hairy sticks and making something that looks like you. That's the magic of painting.
Kehinde WileyRead
I remember the first time I went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and saw a Kerry James Marshall painting with black bodies in it on a museum wall... It strengthened me on a cellular level.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the profound impact of visual representation in art, particularly for marginalized communities.
Kehinde Wiley's quote reflects the deep emotional and spiritual connection that individuals can feel when they see their own identities and experiences represented in art. The mention of being 'strengthened on a cellular level' suggests that such representations have the power to affirm one’s existence and heritage, promoting a sense of belonging and empowerment through cultural visibility.
Themes
ArtRepresentationIdentityEmpowermentCulture
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech at an art exhibit showcasing works by artists of color.
More from Kehinde Wiley
All quotes →This idea that my work is about hip-hop is a little reductive. What I'm interested in is the performance of masculinity, the performance of ethnicity, and how they intermingle across cultures.
Kehinde WileyRead
What is portraiture? It's choice. It's the ability to position your body in the world for the world to celebrate you on your own terms.
Kehinde WileyRead
The ability to be the first African-American painter to paint the first African-American president of the United States is absolutely overwhelming. It doesn't get any better than that.
Kehinde WileyRead
Painting is about the world that we live in. Black men live in the world. My choice is to include them.
Kehinde WileyRead
What I try to do is defy expectations in terms of boundaries, whether it is high or low art, pop culture, or fine-art culture. My work is about reconciling myriad cultural influences and bringing them into one picture.
Kehinde WileyRead
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