Art Lesson w/ Ms. Jennifer: Throwback to Creating a collage portrait in the style of artist Kehinde Wiley
Let’s express ourselves by painting and collaging a portrait in the style of American artist Kehinde Wiley. You will need a photo or print of a person (maybe yourself, maybe a family member, maybe a famous person from a magazine), as well as your favorite art media.
Kehinde Wiley. “Portrait of Barack Hussein Obama,” oil on canvas, 2018
Ms. Jennifer’s completed collage portrait of Harriett Tubman
About the Artist:
Kehinde Wiley is a contemporary African-American painter, best known for his realistic images of African-Americans, many posed like historic images of kings or other people of privilege and power. Sometimes his portraits feature famous people such as President Obama, but other times he uses models of strangers he meets on city streets from around the globe. Growing up in a challenging neighborhood in LA in the 1980’s, Kehinde developed an interest in art from a young age. He went on to get a MFA degree in Art from prestigious Yale University.
“In 2015 Wiley was the recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts. Two years later former president Barack Obama selected Wiley to paint his official portrait for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The painting revealed a mixture of convention and invention when it was unveiled in 2018. Obama, wearing a traditional black suit, sits forward on a mahogany chair with a determined expression on his face and his elbows on his knees. The figure is set against a riotous pattern, but, unlike Wiley’s other portraits, the motif is more subdued with leafy greens and flowers symbolizing Kenya, Hawaii, and Chicago. The portrait was the first representation of an African American and first painting by an African American in the presidential portrait collection.” (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
Learn more about this incredible artist by viewing the short videos below:
Here are a few images of Wiley’s art:
Art Creation Guidance
Materials:
A photo of yourself, a loved one, or someone from a magazine or newspaper.*
Scissors, school glue
Old paintbrush
Small container to hold glue (medicine cup or applesauce cup works great)
Thick paper
Coloring tools of choice: Paints or markers, crayon or colored pencils, or use a combination of materials.
Follow along with Ms. Jennifer by watching this video:
Instructions:
After studying the art of Kehinde Wiley, decide on a pattern of foliage for the background. Think of this pattern as a sheet of symbolic wallpaper behind your portrait collage. For the presidential portrait, Wiley chose flowers representing the places Obama and his ancestors had lived.
Draw then color your pattern with your favorite art media. You might use paint, markers, colored pencils or crayons. Use repetition of shapes, bright color, and fill the entire paper. Set this aside.
Cut out the portrait photo as close to the edges as possible.
Glue the photo onto the background using school glue painted on the back lightly. Carefully press it down to avoid any wrinkles.
If you would like, use scrap pieces of paper to make small elements of the background pattern and shapes. Collage these over a few edges of the person’s photo to make it appear as though the background foliage is growing around the person.
*For an extra challenge, you can draw or paint your own portrait from life or photographs.
Ms. Jennifer used this image from the Library of Congress, a portrait of Underground Railroad heroine, Harriett Tubman.
Music: https://www.bensound.com
Yay! You did it! I can’t wait to see your creations!
Please don't forget to email your artwork to Jennifer@BlowingRockMuseum.org to be shared in our Youth Gallery. We will be printing selections of Youth Artwork submitted digitally, and framing them in our new Youth Gallery on the 2nd floor of BRAHM.
And if you find value in our mission to bring art enrichment to community students through programs such as Young at Art, please consider supporting BRAHM by donating or joining as a member.
Did you know that a membership at the FAMILY LEVEL ($75) and above gives you FREE access to our weekly youth art classes?