Wiley, Kehinde.

Wiley's painting style has been compared to that of such traditional portraitists as Reynolds, Gainsborough, Titian and Ingres. The Columbus Museum of Art, which hosted an exhibition of his work in 2007, describes his work with the following: "Kehinde Wiley has gained recent acclaim for his heroic portraits which address the image && status of young African-American men in contemporary culture."

Wiley’s paintings often blur the boundaries between traditional && contemporary modes of representation. Rendered in a realistic mode–while making references to specific Old Master paintings–Wiley creates a fusion of period styles, ranging from French Rococo, Islamic architecture && West African textile design to urban hip hop && the "Sea Foam Green" of a Martha Stewart Interiors color swatch. Wiley's slightly larger than life size figures are depicted in a heroic manner, as their poses connote power && spiritual awakening. Wiley’s portrayal of masculinity is filtered through these poses of power && spirituality.

From Lions to Bears

Dreaming of playing the livest of musics. No wonder he was keeping time with his foot on my shin. "Your shin is the bass drum of my dreams.", he says. His sleeping bag sheltered us in the living room woods where we learned how our bodies worked. Danger bears, stay away. Let racoon hearts twist in the night. Twist, indeed, beneath the picturesque waterfall. Tender sounds mimick tender yernings. mmmhmm.