World-renowned visual artist Kehinde Wiley has released a limited edition print in support of Black Rock, a multi-disciplinary artist-in-residence program located in Dakar, Senegal, and founded by Wiley in 2019.
Known for his striking representation of contemporary African-American and African-diasporic individuals, Wiley reinterprets heroic poses from European and American portraiture, engaging with the visual rhetoric of power and majesty.
In an exclusive collaboration with the esteemed auction house Phillips, Black Rock Senegal presents a unique opportunity to acquire a signed edition of 30 prints by Kehinde Wiley. The release of these signed editions on the Phillips Dropshop platform comes with a price tag of $15,000, providing art enthusiasts and collectors the chance to support a noble cause while acquiring a piece of Wiley’s exceptional oeuvre.’
The ‘Portrait of Marie-Agnès Diene’ depicts Marie-Agnès Diene posing in Wiley’s studio in Dakar, rendered in Wiley’s characteristic decorative and naturalistic style. It marks his inaugural female portrait featured in a charitable print release. Transitioning to the present initiative, the Portrait of Marie-Agnès Diene emerges as a focal point, further embodying Wiley’s dedication to expanding the scope of his artistic narrative and contributing to the advancement of Black Rock Senegal’s mission.
The limited-edition print release not only reflects Wiley’s commitment to pushing boundaries in portraiture but also highlights the ongoing success of the collaboration. This charitable partnership marks the fourth consecutive annual collaboration between Kehinde Wiley and Black Rock Senegal, succeeding previous releases like Dimietrus Study (2021), Sharrod Hosten Study III (2020), and also Head of a Young Girl Veiled (2019).
Black Rock Senegal is a dynamic multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program that is dedicated to nurturing creative exchange and dialogue within the African diaspora. The net proceeds from the drop will further sustain the celebrated program, which has hosted over 60 international artists in Dakar, Senegal. Black Rock Senegal’s mission is to champion new artistic creation through collaborative exchange as well as to transform the global discourse surrounding Africa’s contemporary significance.
“This year’s print celebrates the artistic energy of Black Rock Sénégal. At the core of Black Rock is the intention to create spaces for creation and dialogue to galvanize artistic practice and build a thoughtful, positive, and engaged artistic community. The proceeds generated from the print editions are vital to the growth and development of our program and go directly towards supporting our artists in residence.”
Kéwé Lô, Director of Black Rock Sénégal
Kehinde Wiley lives and works in New York, USA; Dakar, Senegal; and Lagos, Nigeria. In December 2021, Wiley’s new work was exhibited at the National Gallery, marking his first collaboration with a major UK gallery. This also followed solo exhibitions at The Box, Plymouth (September 2020) and William Morris Gallery, London (February 2020), along with a major survey exhibition at the Centre d’art La Malmaison, Cannes, in July 2020.
Demonstrating his expansive influence beyond galleries, Wiley created a large-scale site-specific artwork commissioned by the Public Art Fund for the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, New York in 2020. The Smithsonian Institution unveiled the official portrait of Barack Obama done by Wiley for the Presidential Portrait Commission at the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC.
