The VMFA is currently hosting a major exhibition of the very prolific, young but wise painter Kehinde Wiley. The artist’s work is often slyly humorous or poignant, always sensitive, and always brilliantly colorful and highly crafted. Wiley juxtaposes contemporary culture and classical painting themes with highly – and again, slyly – effective results. This is an exhibition that will defuse any negative pre-conceptions (“too decorative”, “too ethnic”, “copyist”), and should be seen by all.

A couple of details from Wiley’s paintings are shown below, with a couple of incidentally juxtaposed images.