Trump administration officials at the State Department are considering selling off a painting by the artist who also painted a portrait of former President Barack Obama, claiming his work contains “violent” and “racist” depictions.
The painting, “Young Artists After Siamesas 1960,” was painted by renowned artist Kehinde Wiley and features four Dominican art students in poses inspired by famous works by other Dominican artists. It has been hanging in the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo since 2015.
Wiley is known for his portrait of Obama, which now hangs in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
But earlier this month, Leah Campos, the U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, posted a video on Instagram showing the painting being removed. Campos insinuated the artwork was tied to “globalist and woke ideology.”
Last week, Erin Scavino, the director of Art in Embassies, the visual arts office of the U.S. State Department, called the painting “very woke” and “aesthetically terrifying,” the New York Times reported.
open image in galleryScavino, who was appointed to the role by President Donald Trump this summer, is a former contestant on The Apprentice and is married to key Trump aide Dan Scavino, director of the White House personnel office.
A senior official for the State Department said in a statement to The Independent that it was in discussions with legal representatives to determine whether the painting can be sold but that “it would be the goal of Art in Embassies to proudly do so.”
The State Department official did not cite a specific reason for the painting being removed but said that Wiley “has been accused of sexual misconduct by several individuals” and claimed he painted “violent and racist” depictions.
Wiley has denied the accusations of sexual misconduct.
In accusing Wiley of “violent” and “racist” depictions, the State Department official appeared to be referring to Wiley’s 2012 “Judith and Holofernes” series, which features Judith as a Black woman beheading Holofernes as a white woman.
It is a reference to the Biblical story that has inspired multiple other artworks since the Renaissance.
open image in gallery“The work of an individual with such violent and racist words and depictions has no place in the America First State Department,” the State Department senior official said.
The Independent has asked Wiley for comment.
Wiley has established himself as a well-known contemporary artist for his paintings of vibrant, flowery portraits that often feature Black people in powerful poses.
He skyrocketed to fame in 2018 when he unveiled a portrait of Obama sitting in a chair behind a wall of foliage that features flowers symbolizing Obama’s personal history.
open image in galleryCampos reiterated the State Department’s position in a statement saying, “It is my intention that everything we project from US Embassy Santo Domingo, including the art and decor, reflect the beauty, strength, and commitment to liberty of the United States of America and its people.”
While working on “Young Artists After Siamesas 1960,” Wiley collaborated with students from local art schools near La Romana in the Dominican Republic. He was inspired by works of Celeste Woss y Gil and Gilberto Hernández Ortega.
Wiley sought to weave together historical and cultural elements in the painting.
“Wiley’s work celebrates the artistic traditions of Dominican artists and suggests great optimism for their future,” a description of the painting says.