
“Portrait of Yaima Polledo & Isabel Pozo” (2023), oil on linen, 108 x 81 15/16 inches. Photo by Max Yawney. All images © Kehinde Wiley, shared with permission courtesy of Sean Kelly Gallery
Amidst his signature verdant backdrops,
Wiley’s latest body of work titled HAVANA, on view now at
The performers are each different—there’s so many different points of view, so many different life experiences, but one thing that unites them all is the very sense that America dominates the economic fortune of Cuba. The relationship between America and Cuba is one that has been fraught with a fascination, a suspicion, an intrigue, and a cultural weight.
Wiley references notable artists like Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, and Alexander Calder, who around the turn of the 20th century explored similar themes. Through portraits of acrobats, dancers, and musicians, Wiley examines the political history, economic hardship, and thirst for artistic freedom in Cuba, focusing on circuses and carnivals as sites of celebration, disruption, and self-expression.

“Portrait of Erika Gray Ferro” (2023), oil on linen, 48 x 36 inches. Photo by Max Yawney
On his first visit to Cuba, Wiley stopped by the
Like in many parts of the world, numerous cultural histories intersect in Cuba due to the period of European colonization, which resulted in the forced migration of Indigenous populations and centuries of enslavement of African peoples. Over time, circuses and elaborate street parties became “opportunities for the formerly enslaved to engage in moments of freedom and grace that were generally forbidden,” reads an exhibition
HAVANA continues at Sean Kelly through June 17, which includes a three-channel film featuring some of the performers. See more from the artist on his

“Portrait of Rassiel Alfonso Leonard & Nairobys C. Placeres Riviero” (2023), oil on linen, 108 x 72 inches. Photo by Max Yawney

Left: “Evel Antonio Study” (2023), oil on paper, 44 x 30 inches. Right: “Jorge Gonzales Acosta Study” (2023), oil on paper, 44 x 30 inches. Photos by Adam Reich

“Portrait of Yadiel Arrozaceno Dorticós” (2023), oil on linen, 72 x 60 inches

“Portrait of Anet Arias” (2023), oil on linen, 48 x 36 inches. Photo by Max Yawney

“Portrait of Daniel Paiol López” (2023), oil on linen, 96 x 72 inches. Photo by Max Yawney

Left: “Juan Cabrera Pulido Study” (2023), oil on paper, 45 x 31 inches. Right: “Misahel Hernández Study” (2023), oil on paper, 44 x 30 inches. Photos by Adam Reich

“Portrait of Tony di heon Gonzales & Armando Leon Aquirre” (2023), oil on linen, 108 x 72 inches

“Portrait of Juan Cabrera Pulido & Emilio Hernandez Gonzalez” (2023), oil on linen, 108 x 72 inches
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a