Mame Kéwé Aminata Lô

Label Text

The Art Center recently purchased two bronze sculptures by Kehinde Wiley. In an extraordinary body of work Wiley draws from the past but in a completely contemporary manner using subject matter found in urabn life. His work addresses the issue of race and the perception of value by using a format that has typically indicated wealth, power, or prestige. Wiley's bronze busts are from a series of portraits of his friends and family at Black Rock Senegal, home to the artist's compound and residency program on the coast of Dakar. Mame Kewe Aminata Lo, is the director of his compound. The exquisite details reflects the imspiration of numerous artistic precursors as the 18th-century French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon, who was in turn influenced by the Baroque and other periods from antiquity, such as Roman and Classical statuary.

Wiley's work is widely collected by museums across the country, and in 2017 he was commissioned tp paint a portrait of former President Barack Obama for the the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

Source: DMAC, May Jun Jul Aug 2022

DimensionsOverall: 21 1/4 × 12 5/8 × 8 1/4 in. (54 × 32.1 × 21 cm)

Accession Number 2022.3

Classificationssculpture

SignedKehinde Wiley (l,c back of bust)

Inscriptions2020 2/12 (l,c back of bust)

Edition2/12, edition of 12 with 3 APs

Provenance(Sean Kelly, New York); Des Moines Art Center [purchased from the previous, 2022]

Images (1)

Audio (1)

DSM Speaks Audio Tour with Billy “B.WELL” Weathers, Community Member

Audio Transcript

DSM Speaks Audio Tour with Billy “B.WELL” Weathers, Community Member

Run Time: 37 seconds

Recorded by Billy “B.WELL” Weathers, CultureALL Community Ambassador / 2023

The first thing that I notice was the sense of judgment on their face. A face that I’m familiar with. No real resentment but feeling like having to justify behavior, actions, or my character - hence the side-eye. One in which you’re recognizing truth in glancing. Seeing what actually lies beneath lies but having no actual means to fix it. I think their looks are very firm and serious. But also withhold humor and wittiness, and a sense of joy. And facing west which symbolizes the sunset, the end of the day, or even the end in general.

DES MOINES SPEAKS

DSM Speaks are short audio reflections on artwork in our permanent collection, written and voiced by diverse members of our community. Contributors to this program were selected in partnership with CultureALL and the Des Moines Art Center. We hope by elevating these diverse ways of seeing we can encourage all visitors to connect more deeply and to see themselves and their identities within our walls.