Kehinde Wiley Painting Removed from US Embassy in Santo Domingo
A painting by Kehinde Wiley, famous for creating Barack Obama's portrait, has been taken down from the US Embassy in Santo Domingo and could potentially be sold by the State Department. The artwork, titled 'Young Artists After Siamesas 1960', was commissioned in 2013 and showcases four Dominican models. This removal aligns with actions from the Trump administration, which included draping it with a tarp. Erin Scavino described it as 'very woke' and 'aesthetically terrifying.' US Ambassador Leah Campos praised the removal, associating it with 'globalist and woke ideologies.' The State Department referenced Wiley's 2023 remarks and dismissed the allegations. Virginia Shore criticized the political framing, highlighting the program's nonpartisan roots.
Key facts
- Kehinde Wiley's painting 'Young Artists After Siamesas 1960' removed from US Embassy in Santo Domingo
- Painting commissioned by US government in 2013
- Erin Scavino called the work 'very woke' and 'aesthetically terrifying'
- Ambassador Leah Campos celebrated removal, linking it to 'globalist and woke ideologies'
- State Department cited Wiley's 2023 statements and sexual assault allegations
- Possible sale under review; smaller Wiley work fetched $845,000 at Phillips in 2024
- Virginia Shore, who commissioned the piece, called it nonpartisan and noted no precedent for sales
- Wiley received State Department award in 2015 for cultural diplomacy
- Art in Embassies program established in 1963, expanded in 1999
- Scavino organized 'Make Art Great Again' exhibition in July
Entities
Artists
- Kehinde Wiley
- Celeste Woss y Gil
- Gilberto Hernández Ortega
- Barack Obama
Institutions
- Art in Embassies
- US Department of State
- US Embassy in Santo Domingo
- Phillips
- Hyperallergic
- US Embassy in the Dominican Republic
- U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic
- Trump administration
- US State Department
- The New York Times
Locations
- Santo Domingo
- Dominican Republic
- United States
- Washington
- Bucharest