Matar Mbaye II 2008

Kehinde Wiley made "Matar Mbaye II," using oil paint to create a portrait that feels both classical and contemporary. The colors are so saturated, right? Like, that green just vibrates against the purples and reds. I love how Wiley plays with the surface. The background pattern is so flat and decorative, almost like wallpaper, which makes the figure pop even more. But then, when you look closer at the face, you see these super subtle gradations of tone. Look at the way he uses light to sculpt the cheekbones and jawline. There’s a real softness there, a kind of intimacy. It reminds me a bit of those old master portraits, but Wiley flips the script, bringing in these modern patterns and contemporary subjects. It's like he’s saying, "Hey, these faces, these stories, they belong in the canon too." For me this work brings to mind the work of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, it's like they are in conversation with each other about the nature of portraiture.