ByMaya Boddie
The Trump administration has removed a painting by Kehinde Wiley, the Black artist who painted former President Barack Obama’s official portrait, from the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic after officials criticized the artwork as “woke.”
The State Department is now exploring whether it can sell the artwork, “Young Artists After Siamesas 1960,” a portrait commissioned by the federal government in 2013, according to The Washington Post.
The world-renowned painting features four young Dominican artists against Wiley’s signature floral backdrop. It was created through the State Department’s Art in Embassies program, which uses artwork to promote cultural diplomacy at U.S. embassies and other diplomatic facilities.
Erin Scavino, the Trump-appointed head of Art in Embassies, called Wiley’s embassy painting “very woke” and “aesthetically terrifying,” according to The Post.
U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Leah Campos also posted a video showing the artwork being removed, saying the embassy was moving away from “globalist and woke ideologies.”
The State Department said Tuesday (August 25) it is consulting legal representatives to determine whether the painting can be sold. The department said selling the artwork would be the goal if it is legally permitted.
Wiley received a State Department Medal of Arts in 2015 for his contributions to cultural diplomacy.
Wiley later gained widespread recognition after painting Obama’s official portrait, which hangs at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.
