Kehinde Wiley Requests to Buy Back Painting Removed by State Department
Trump officials removed the work from an embassy in the Dominican Republic in August, labeling it "woke."
Kehinde Wiley has requested to purchase his painting Young Artists After Siamesas 1960 (2015) back from the United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic following its removal by the State Department. The artwork was taken down in August at the behest of Trump-backed officials, including Leah Campos, the US Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, and Erin Scavino, head of the State Department's Art in Embassies program.
These officials cited Wiley's violent and racist words and depictions as the reason for the painting's removal. The State Department has since stated that they are in discussions with lawyers to determine whether the artwork can be sold. In a letter sent to President Donald Trump on September 24, Wiley expressed his desire to buy back the painting, explaining that he created it for a specific place and purpose while studying Dominican artists and working with young artists in Santo Domingo. As of now, neither Wiley nor his gallery, Sean Kelly Gallery, has commented on the matter.
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