Kehinde Wiley The World Stage: Israel

One of the most significant young artists today, Kehinde Wiley (American, b. 1977) is known for his vibrant, large-scale paintings of black urban men rendered in the self-confident, empowered poses typical of classical European portrait painting. The World Stage: Israel is part of the artist’s series exploring the global black diaspora and the international phenomenon of urban youth culture. Paintings in The World Stage: Israel are based on photographs the artist took of men of diverse religions and ethnicities living in Israel. The elaborate decorative backgrounds are based on historical Jewish designs and motifs. The portraits are complemented by a selection of Jewish textiles and works on paper to provide examples of the types of traditional artifacts that inspired Wiley. On loan from the Ahavath Beth Israel synagogue in Boise and the Skirball Museum, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, the objects include Torah ark curtains, a marriage contract, and papercuts.

IMAGE: Kehinde Wiley, Alios Itzhak (The World Stage: Israel), 2011, oil and enamel on canvas, 115 x 80 in, Collection of the Jewish Museum, New York. Purchase: Gift of Lisa and Steven Tananbaum Family Foundation; Gift in honor of Joan Rosenbaum by the Contemporary Judaica, Fine Arts, Photography, and Traditional Judaica Acquisitions Committee Funds, 2011-31