Ivelaw Study 2010

Kehinde Wiley, born in 1977, made "Ivelaw Study" and the painting just pops, doesn't it? I can imagine Wiley in the studio mixing up that electric green for the hooded sweatshirt. The figure’s pose is what grabs me—arms crossed tight, like he’s cold or holding himself together. The black tendrils crawling up from the bottom almost feel like they're enveloping him. It's like Wiley is saying something about vulnerability and strength. He’s known for placing Black figures in these grand, historical settings, flipping the script on who gets to be seen as powerful or beautiful. Painting has this amazing ability to let us see the world through someone else’s eyes. Painters build on one another's work across time. It’s an ongoing conversation. The act of painting is a way of thinking, feeling, and questioning, embracing ambiguity and inviting endless interpretations.