Kehinde Wiley's Dutch Religious Art at Phoenix Art Museum

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
By Tahlib

"After Memling Portrait of Saint Benedict" (2013)by Kehinde Wiley

During the Fall of 2008, when it was just me and a few friends deciding which contemporary work we considered the Religious Art of the Year, the painting of "Dead Christ in a Tomb" by Kehinde Wiley was an obvious choice for a group of friends seeking new ways of looking at religion, sexuality, and race. In his newest exhibition, "Kehinde Wiley: Memling" at the Phoenix Art Museum, he continues charging forward creating unique windows into the world of religion through the lens of men-of-color. His new series of  eight portraits take their poses and contexts from the works by the 15th century Flemish master Hans Memling (below), whose lens for faith was from a time when Christianity was exclusively white Europeans.

Phoenix Art Museum: "Kehinde Wiley: Memling," (Ends June 20), 1625 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ. (602) 257-1222 or phxart.org

Saint Benedict, 1487 Giclee Print by Hans Memling