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Quote by Kehinde Wiley

“I think that just the nature of art education in schools, it's about packs, you know? Like, we're young wolves running together, creating a consensus. And consensus is antithetical to the art process.”

Quote by Kehinde Wiley

Author

Kehinde Wiley is a renowned contemporary painter known for his modern interpretations of traditional portraiture. His works typically depict portraits of African Americans, Latinos, and other minorities, blending elements of history, culture, and pop culture. Born in 1977, Wiley's work has had a profound impact on the art world. more

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“I think that once you're able to sort of get in line with who and how you relate to the world, you'll become closer to this index that I'm referring to. Because what you want is this card that relates to that book. What you want is this human that relates to this world, rather than having this art school society scattering that point of view somewhere in between. It becomes diffused. And that level of clarity, I think, was gained at the Studio Museum in Harlem.”

Thinking World Want Humans Art Book Able School Lines Levels Views This World Studios Point Of View What You Want Cards Clarity Relate Museums Referring Art School Harlem

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“It was something that came sort of matter-of-factually. Because there - it's like really - real honest engagement with the people around me and just like really honestly being a little bit confused, quite frankly, about Harlem.”

People Littles Real Matter Bits Honest Little Bit Honestly Confused Engagement Harlem

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“I grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where people are in cars.”

People Car Grew Grew Up South Los Angeles

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“There is no pedestrian culture [in South Central Los Angeles].”

Culture South Los Angeles Pedestrians

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“Like, the smells and the sights and the sounds. As an artist, you want to sort of be able to engage that and get that down in some way. This is - this is a type of familiarity but a type of radical difference at the same time.”

Way Want Able Artist Sound Differences Type Sight Smell Radical Familiarity

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“I had no idea about where I was going. I had no sense of art as anything other than a problem to be fixed, you know, an itch to be scratched. I was in that studio trying my best to feel content with myself. I had, like, a stipend. I had a place to sleep. I had a studio to work in. I had nothing else to think about, you know. And that's - that was a huge luxury in New York City.”

Thinking Knows Feels Trying Art Ideas Problem Sleep Cities New York Huge Studios Luxury No Idea Fixed New York City

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“I actually studied cooking and, like, was thinking about becoming a chef.”

Thinking Becoming Cooking Chef

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“Just so [becoming a chef ] that I could support my art habit. You know? I mean, this is - this is something where you've been literally given an opportunity to put the world on pause for a second.”

Knows World Mean Art Opportunity Given Support Becoming Habit Chef Pauses

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces, essential components. You have to - you know, at this point I'm so used to operating within given assumptions about art. But when you're explaining art to art students or people who are new to this experience, you have to really go back to the fundamentals.”

People Knows Art Age Young Used Given Break Pieces Teaching Students Essentials Fundamentals Assumption Bites Components Explaining Teaching Art Art Students

Author:Kehinde Wiley

“In the Studio Museum in Harlem, when I was dealing with that community and dealing with my peers in the streets, it allowed for me to get outside of Yale, to get outside of art-speak, and to really think about art as a material practice that has very useful and pragmatic material precedent.”

Thinking Art Speak Community Practice Streets Materials Studios Museums Peers Pragmatic Precedent Yale Harlem

Author:Kehinde Wiley