US State Department Takes Down “Woke” Kehinde Wiley Painting
“Young Artists After Siamesa 1960” (2015) was removed from the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic and could be sold.
In August 2025, the United States Department of State removed a 2015 painting by Kehinde Wiley from its embassy in the Dominican Republic. The decision came after the department deemed the artist's "violent and racist words and depictions" incompatible with the agency's mission. A spokesperson for the State Department explained that they had consulted legal representatives to "ascertain whether the art can be sold."
Leah Campos, the Trump-appointed US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, announced the removal of the painting on Instagram on August 11. Campos' post expressed her administration's rejection of "globalist and woke ideologies" and emphasized the importance of "American patriotism and the beauty of our great country."
The painting in question, titled "Young Artists After Siamesas 1960," was commissioned by the State Department in 2013 for its embassy in Santo Domingo. Kehinde Wiley, renowned for his portrait of Barack Obama in 2018, was tasked with creating the work. The painting features four figures - two standing as if preparing to dance, and two seated at their feet - against a floral-patterned backdrop.
Wiley drew inspiration from Dominican artists Celeste Woss y Gil and Gilberto Hernández Ortega during the creation of "Young Artists After Siamesas 1960." He collaborated with local art students to bring the artwork to life.
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