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9 Dec 2021

Kehinde Wiley on reclaiming the space once occupied by aristocrats

He’s the American artist who made his name with his official portrait of Barack Obama.

But Kehinde Wiley’s work is usually focused not on famous figures but on people he meets on the street – placing young Black faces in traditional European paintings – reclaiming the space once occupied by aristocrats and empire builders.

Kehinde Wiley’s “The Prelude” is on at the National Gallery, London, from 10 December 2021 to 18 April 2022.