The Artist Kehinde Wiley
<p>When I first saw this portrait of President Barack Obama, I thought it was the most powerful piece of contemporary art I had ever seen.</p>
<p>I am not great at describing art. But as I look at this portrait, I <em>feel</em> the intensity and calm assurance of President Obama. I<em> feel</em> his sense of determination and unwavering optimism. The lush greens of the plants growing around him accentuate his quiet strength with vibrant blooms bursting all around him.</p>
<p>Until I read some other art critiques of the piece, I was not even cognizant of the fact that the garden growing behind Obama is not the typical setting or backdrop for Black men. Rather than a dark, urban setting, which may be the standard in art and the evening news in which most people see Black men, Wiley paints his subjects in front of backgrounds teeming with life and possibility.</p>
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