Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic presents an overview of the artist’s career. The exhibition highlights the range of Wiley’s production, starting with examples of early paintings executed around the time of his 2001 residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem. These figurative canvases of African-American men, inspired by Wiley’s observation of street life in Harlem, mark the beginning of his focused exploration of the male figure.
In subsequent bodies of work, the artist took figuration a step further to examine the European tradition of portraiture. Appropriating the format of specific paintings by renowned masters such as Titian, Van Dyke, Ingres, and Manet, Wiley began the practice of replacing historical subjects with contemporary young African-American men sporting fashionable urban gear: puffy down jackets, sneakers, hoodies, jerseys, and baseball caps. Juxtaposed with ornate decorative backgrounds, the stylized likeness and grounds became part of Wiley’s signature style.
The exhibition will also include a selection from his ongoing World Stage project, which he initiated in 2006 by establishing a satellite studio in Beijing, China. In addition, the exhibition will include portrait busts, stained glass, as well as female portraiture from Wiley’s recent series An Economy of Grace.
Born in Los Angeles in 1977, Wiley received his BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute (1999) and his MFA from Yale University (2001). Wiley’s work is in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Studio Museum in Harlem; the Denver Art Museum; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; the High Museum, Atlanta; the Columbus Museum of Art; the Phoenix Art Museum; the Milwaukee Art Museum; the Jewish Museum, New York; and the Brooklyn Museum.
Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic is organized by the Brooklyn Museum. Oklahoma City will be the final stop on the tour that has included Texas, Washington, Virginia, Arizona, and Ohio.
Programming and Events
EXHIBITION LECTURE
Wednesday, July 26 | 6 pm
Reframing Beauty: Intimate Visions
Deborah Willis, PhD
Free for members; $5 for non-members. Visit okcmoa.com for details
ONE WORK, MANY VOICES
Join an in-depth conversation inspired by a single work of art in exhibition. Museum facilitators and community guests will kick off dialogue and a new work of art will be discussed each program. Pre-registration required. $5 for Non-Members. Free for members.
Thursday, July 20 | 6 pm
Thursday, August 24 | 6 pm
PUBLIC EXHIBITION TOURS
These in-gallery guided tours will provide conversation-based insights and close looking experiences. Pre-registration recommended. Free for members, price varies for non-members.
Please click on the individual dates below for ticket information.
Thursday, July 27 | 6 pm
Sunday, August 13 | 2 pm
Thursday, August 31 | 6 pm
Sunday, September 3 | 2 pm
GROUP EXHIBITION TOURS
Reservations required. Group rate and tour guides are available.
Call (405) 278-8213 for more information.
GALLERY + STUDIO TOURS
Guided tour inside the exhibition followed by a related art making experience. All ages.
Pre-registration required as programs are booked on an individual basis. Call (405) 278-8213 for more information.
MAKING MEMORIES
Select Mondays | 10:30 am and 2 pm
Designed for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and their caregivers or loved ones.
Free, registration required. Call (405) 278-8221 for more information or to sign up.
FAMILY WORKSHOPS
Fascinating Faces | Saturday, August 26 | 10-11 am (15- 36 months + adult)
See It, Stamp It | Saturday, August 26 | 11:15 am-12:30 pm (3-5 years + adult)
People and Patterns | Saturday, August 27 | 2-4 pm (6-10 years + adult)
Pre-registration required. Details at okcmoa.com/learn.
ADULT CLASSES
Hidden Figures with Artist Mandy Messina, Sundays, July 9 & 16 | 1-4 pm
Medium: Embroidery/Textiles
Iconoclasm with Artist Mandy Messina, Sunday, August 6 | 2-4 pm
Medium: Faux Stained Glass
Pre-registration required. Details at okcmoa.com/learn.
DROP-IN ART (All ages)
Floral Collages | Saturday, July 8 | 1-4 pm
Fashionable Footwear | Saturday, July 15 | 1-4 pm
Watercolor Block Prints | Saturday, July 22 | 1-4 pm
Fabric Stamping | Saturday, July 29 | 1-4 pm
Free with admission
METRO LIBRARY/OKCMOA PARTNER PROGRAM
Art making and conversation inspired by Kehinde Wiley: A New Republic. Offered for families and teens at local Metropolitan Library branches. Free. Visit metrolibrary.org for dates and details.
View the Artist’s Lecture at OKCMOA below!
Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977). Colonel Platoff on His Charger, 2007–8. Oil on canvas, 122 x 122 in. (309.9 x 309.9 cm). Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; Gift of the Director’s Council and Museum purchase, 2008. © Kehinde Wiley; Homepage slider image: Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977). Morpheus, 2008. Oil on canvas, 108 x 180 in. (274.3 x 457.2 cm). Collection of Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, 21c Museum Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky. © Kehinde Wiley (Detail)
