Mizrah;Shiviti 2011

Editor: So, this is Kehinde Wiley’s *Mizrah;Shiviti*, from 2011. It’s an acrylic painting, and right away I'm struck by how the subject's casual modern style is juxtaposed against that super-ornate, almost ancient-looking background. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Oh, honey, Wiley's a magician with that kind of visual tension. For me, it’s about reclaiming and rewriting history. He’s taking these powerful, traditionally European art historical tropes, and then BAM! inserting contemporary Black figures. He makes you ask: Who gets to be immortalized? Whose stories get told? It's sassy and smart, isn’t it? Do you think that the setting adds anything to the subject? Editor: Totally. That busy, almost overwhelming background – the repeated motifs, the bold color – makes the central figure stand out even more. But at the same time, the vines trailing across the figure's clothes seem to blend him into the backdrop...like he both belongs and doesn't. Curator: Exactly! It's like he is merging with the traditions and history he has been excluded from. It feels spiritual, if you ask me! Almost as though Wiley's sitter *becomes* a divine object, like a deity that’s being adorned and idolized. Editor: I see that! So it's about challenging this Western idea of the divine and putting forward a new one? Curator: In a major way. But he's also celebrating Black identity and making a statement about power, visibility, and representation, baby! Think of the portraits of kings and nobleman over time – is Wiley really doing anything different? Food for thought. Editor: I love how it mixes seemingly disparate elements to make you think about who is included and excluded from historical narratives. Thanks for your point of view! Curator: My pleasure. It’s all about seeing the world through different lenses, isn’t it?