Kern Alexander Study I 2011

Kehinde Wiley made this striking portrait with oil on canvas. Wiley's work often places Black men and women in the visual vocabulary of traditional European portraiture, inviting us to consider questions of race, power, and representation. In this piece, we see Kern Alexander set against a backdrop of decorative patterning, reminiscent of wallpaper or textiles, which flattens the space and emphasizes the figure's presence. Wiley draws on art-historical references, echoing the compositions and poses of aristocratic portraiture. This image, likely painted in the early 2000s in the United States, challenges the historical absence of Black figures from such spaces. By inserting Kern Alexander into this tradition, Wiley confronts the established art historical canon, questioning who gets to be seen, how, and why. To fully appreciate the nuances of this work, delve into studies of the history of portraiture and the social context of contemporary art, paying particular attention to the historical presence of Black people in art. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.