Portrait Of Wangechi Mutu, Mamiwata 2017

Kehinde Wiley's 2017 portrait, *Portrait of Wangechi Mutu, Mamiwata*, is a powerful example of his signature style. Wiley is known for depicting contemporary Black subjects in the style of traditional European portraiture, often drawing inspiration from Renaissance masterpieces. The painting features Wangechi Mutu, a prominent contemporary artist, as a powerful figure, reimagined as the Mami Wata, a water spirit in African folklore, often portrayed as a beautiful woman with serpentine attributes. The lush, tropical setting and the figure's confident pose evoke a sense of spirituality and the interconnectedness of nature and humanity.