Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Opening Night with Artist Kehinde Wiley

Today, we sit with renowned artist Kehinde Wiley on the opening night of Colorful Realm, his new exhibition at <a href="https://www.robertsprojectsla.com/exhibitions/kehinde-wiley6">Roberts Projects</a> in Los Angeles. At the top, Wiley walks through the Japanese influence behind his latest paintings (5:05), his upbringing in South Central Los Angeles (10:36), and the profound impact of artist Kerry James Marshall’s 1993 piece De Style (12:57). Then, he reflects on a formative MFA program at Yale (19:41), his residency at the Studio Museum under Thelma Golden (19:41) and how he began casting portrait subjects from the streets of New York City (22:42). On the back-half, we discuss Wiley’s 2001 piece Conspicuous Fraud #1 (Eminence) (26:02), the guiding philosophy behind his work (27:48), his enduring portrait of former President Barack Obama (32:07), and what he hopes to create in years to come (34:55).See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people. Hosted by Sam Fragoso. New episodes every Sunday.