Speaking of Hip Hop Art ... Kehinde Wiley

While I am on the subject of hip hop art, I saw an AMAZING hip hop art exhibit, "Recognize!", at D.C.'s National Portrait Gallery last spring.

I love Kehinde Wiley's paintings. Kehinde, age 31, is known for his unique style in which old European portraiture meets modern hip-hop culture.

I went back to the museum several times, just to see the gigantic portraits up close, and made sure to drag friends, along:) The painting below was my favorite - LL Cool J.



Here's a good video about the artist's work --

Hip-hop and art history collide on Kehinde Wiley's canvases, where contemporary urban black men pose as angels, prophets, and saints set against richly colored swirls of ornate and rococo ornamentation:


If you ever have the opportunity to see his paintings in person, then make sure that you take advantage of that opportunity!