There's something really cool about taking oily coloured paste and pushing it around with these hairy sticks and making something that looks like you. That's the magic of painting.
Kehinde WileyRead
I know how young black men are seen. They're boys - scared little boys, oftentimes. I was one of them. I was completely afraid of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the perception of young black men and their fear of authority, particularly in relation to law enforcement.
Kehinde Wiley expresses his personal experience as a young black man who often felt marginalized and viewed as a vulnerable child by society, particularly by institutions like the police. This statement sheds light on the broader societal issues of racial profiling and the psychological impact of living in fear due to systemic racism.
Themes
FearIdentityAuthorityRacismYouthPerception
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on racial equity, this quote could highlight the fear experienced by marginalized communities.
More from Kehinde Wiley
All quotes βThis idea that my work is about hip-hop is a little reductive. What I'm interested in is the performance of masculinity, the performance of ethnicity, and how they intermingle across cultures.
Kehinde WileyRead
What is portraiture? It's choice. It's the ability to position your body in the world for the world to celebrate you on your own terms.
Kehinde WileyRead
The ability to be the first African-American painter to paint the first African-American president of the United States is absolutely overwhelming. It doesn't get any better than that.
Kehinde WileyRead
Painting is about the world that we live in. Black men live in the world. My choice is to include them.
Kehinde WileyRead
What I try to do is defy expectations in terms of boundaries, whether it is high or low art, pop culture, or fine-art culture. My work is about reconciling myriad cultural influences and bringing them into one picture.
Kehinde WileyRead
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