第1836期:Kehinde Wiley Obama Painter, Is Taking His Art Everywhere

Kehinde Wiley is a well-known and influential American artist. His paintings and sculptures are the subject of art shows around the United States. The 46-year-old Wiley seems especially busy right now. His work is currently on display at shows on both the East and West coasts of the U.S. He has another show in Paris, France. And he is expanding artistic bases in Africa. Wiley shot to fame outside of the art world a few years ago, after he painted an official presidential portrait. It was historic. Wiley was the first Black artist to be commissioned for the work. He painted America’s first Black president, Barack Obama.

Kehinde Wiley 是一位知名且有影响力的美国艺术家。他的绘画和雕塑是美国各地艺术展的主题。 46 岁的威利现在似乎特别忙。他的作品目前正在美国东海岸和西海岸的展览中展出。他在法国巴黎还有另一场展览。他正在非洲扩大艺术基地。几年前，威利在画了一幅官方总统肖像后在艺术界之外一举成名。这是历史性的。威利是第一位受委托创作该作品的黑人艺术家。他画了美国第一位黑人总统巴拉克奥巴马。

In Wiley’s painting, Obama sits in a simple chair, his arms crossed, his body leaned a bit forward. Surrounding him is a colorful explosion of natural elements, like flowers and greenery. It was a powerful and untraditional representation for an historic presidency.Wiley said he is very proud of that work, noting the importance of that time in history. “I wonder if I will ever be able to do anything that lives up to the gravity of that moment,” he said. “Everybody wants to be seen in a number of different contexts ... but I mean, what a great project to be involved in.”

在威利的画中，奥巴马坐在一把简易椅子上，双臂交叉，身体略微前倾。他的周围是五颜六色的自然元素，如鲜花和绿色植物。对于一位具有历史意义的总统职位来说，这是一个强有力的、非传统的代表。威利说，他为这项工作感到非常自豪，并指出了那个时代在历史上的重要性。 “我想知道我是否能够做任何符合那一刻重力的事情，”他说。 “每个人都希望在许多不同的背景下被人看到……但我的意思是，参与一个多么伟大的项目。”

There is no shortage of new projects for Wiley. In March, Wiley was at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, California, for the U.S opening of Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence. It is a powerful mix of some of Wiley’s huge paintings and sculptures that explore anti-Black violence worldwide. The museum has set up quiet spaces for attendees who need a break from the intensity of the show.

威利不乏新项目。 3 月，威利 (Wiley) 在加利福尼亚州旧金山的德扬博物馆 (de Young Museum) 参加了 Kehinde Wiley：沉默考古学 (Kehinde Wiley: An Archeology of Silence) 在美国的开幕式。它是 Wiley 探索世界范围内反黑人暴力的一些巨型绘画和雕塑的有力组合。博物馆为需要从紧张的展览中休息的与会者设置了安静的空间。

On the other side of the country, Wiley also recently opened his show HAVANA at New York City's art space Sean Kelly. The show centers on circus performers and carnival street dancers in Cuba. In between, the artist traveled to Africa. He is building an artist center in Calabar, Nigeria. Black Rock Nigeria will be his second artist center on the continent. Wiley is also at work on a new portrait show that centers on Black heads of state. That show is to open in September at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris. Wiley describes a kind of rhythm to his moving about the planet, visiting “extraordinary” places. He said he is always “hungry for new experiences." HAVANA, Wiley’s show in New York, closes June 17. San Francisco’s Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence will run through October 15.

在美国的另一边，Wiley 最近还在纽约市的艺术空间 Sean Kelly 举办了他的 HAVANA 秀。该节目以古巴的马戏团表演者和狂欢节街舞者为中心。在此期间，艺术家前往非洲。他正在尼日利亚卡拉巴尔建立一个艺术家中心。 Black Rock Nigeria 将成为他在非洲大陆的第二个艺术家中心。威利还在筹备一个以黑人国家元首为中心的新肖像展。该展览将于 9 月在巴黎的 Musée du Quai Branly 开幕。威利描述了他在地球上移动、访问“非凡”地方的一种节奏。他说他总是“渴望新的体验。”威利在纽约举办的哈瓦那展览将于 6 月 17 日结束。旧金山的 Kehinde Wiley：沉默的考古学将持续到 10 月 15 日。