In celebration of Black History Month, colleagues were invited to learn to draw portraits inspired by one of the world’s leading contemporary portraitists Kehinde Wiley. Wiley’s work raises questions about race, gender, and the politics of representation by portraying contemporary African American men and women using the conventions of traditional European portraiture.
This session taught participants to draw a portrait, learning to position the features of the face, create contrast and incorporate shadow in their work. Taking inspiration from Wiley’s paintings, participants integrated a floral background into their finished piece.