Contemporary portrait painter skin#

In fact, Wiley’s 2005 Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps is a direct reference to David’s iconic painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps at Grand-Saint-Bernard (1800-01). Please check your inbox to activate your subscription Thank you! His work depicts Black models he meets in the city and incorporates influences the average museum-goer might recognize, such as the organic textile patterns of William Morris’s Arts and Crafts Movement or the heroic equestrian portraits of Neoclassicists like Jacques-Louis David. Most famous for being commissioned to paint the official portrait of President Barack Obama, Kehinde Wiley is a New York City-based painter whose works combine the aesthetics and techniques of traditional Western art history with the lived experience of Black men in twenty-first-century America. Kehinde Wiley: Contemporary Artist Inspired By Old Masters Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps by Kehinde Wiley, 2005, via the Brooklyn Museum Some are academically trained painters, others are drawn to non-Western art forms, and yet others defy categorization altogether.įrom a quilt-maker to a neon-sculptor, these are just five of the countless Black artists in America whose work showcases the influence and diversity of Black contemporary art.ġ.

Today, some of these artists actively confront historical topics, others represent their here-and-now, and most have overcome industry barriers not faced by white artists. Valeria is interested not only in the way that the model looks, but also in the thoughts and personalities she can explore through her incredibly well-crafted portraits.įor a look at many more beautiful, contemporary portraits by Valeria Feliú, please visit her website today.Black artists in America have revolutionized the contemporary art scene by entering and redefining the spaces that have for too long excluded them. The similarities end, however, as soon as we consider the model herself. With that high-contrast, detailed fabric, intricate patterns (in front and behind the sitter) and an almost “cut-out” style of composition, I can’t help but think of some of Gustav Klimt’s paintings from the early 20th century. In her current solo exhibit in Salta, Argentina, Valeria’s latest work is on display, including this second painting, entitled Punk glam dream wild. Homage of Muses and Inspiration, Resignifying the Contemporary Portrait We can’t help but be drawn to those eyes, as they are framed by every part of the composition.īut try as we might to see into them, the woman’s gaze is focused just above and to the right of the viewer, creating a moment of not-quite-connection-almost as if time has stopped, and we can only wait and see what happens next. Those bright swirls of fuchsia and red (and gold and green) frame the sitter’s face and draw the viewer’s gaze upward, yet even with those vibrant colors in play, it’s the woman’s eyes that form the true focal point of the painting.Ĭlear, gray-blue pupils catch the light and echo the colors of the fabric gathered in the bottom corner.

Contemporary portrait painter skin#

Here we see Valeria’s exquisite painting abilities firsthand-from the perfectly smooth skin of the model to the loosely impressionistic blue dress and abstracted floral headdress. In reference to her Portraits of a Thought series, Valeria writes, “What we see is a face, but what we really are is behind it and nobody can see it, those are our thoughts.”Ī perfect example of that is this first painting, entitled, It’s all how you see it darling!

Her current work explores the art of contemporary portraiture, where she uses her incredible skills rendering fabric, skin tone, and expression to create a beautiful tapestry of art from each sitter. By admin in Featured Artists > Oil PaintingsĪs a young child growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentica, Valeria Feliú always knew she wanted to be an artist-and whether it was drawing, painting, ceramics, or photography, Valeria never stopped creating.Īfter getting her degree in Visual Communications and living for a time in Sydney, Australia (where she worked in architecture while developing her artistic career on the side) Valeria moved back to Argentina as a full-time painter.