Kehinde Wiley – “An Economy of Grace”

Overview of the Project: “An Economy of Grace”

  • Kehinde Wiley initiates a new body of work titled “An Economy of Grace.”
    • Core methodology: street-casting young women in New York City.
    • Objective: Invite them to Wiley’s studio, measure them, and fit them for one-of-a-kind couture gowns.
  • The phrase “economy of grace” suggests both a material exchange (fashion, craft, labor) and an aesthetic/spiritual exchange (elevating the subjects’ presence in art history).

Key Participants

  • Kehinde Wiley—internationally known for large-scale portraits of Black subjects in urban clothing, often juxtaposed with ornate historical backdrops.
  • Riccardo Tisci—then Creative Director of Givenchy (transcribed as “GBochi” but context indicates Givenchy), recruited to design the gowns.
    • Demonstrates a unique responsiveness to each individual sitter.
  • The Sitters—young women selected from NYC streets; become active collaborators rather than passive models.

Creative Process & Workflow

  • Step 1: Street Casting
    • Wiley approaches women in public spaces, explaining the project and inviting participation.
  • Step 2: Studio Fitting
    • Women are measured and fitted for custom gowns.
    • Collaboration between fashion (Tisci) and painting (Wiley).
  • Step 3: Historical Research
    • Wiley and Tisci walk through the Louvre to pinpoint references in fashion and portraiture history.
      • They identify specific moments, silhouettes, poses, and ornamentation from European masterworks.
  • Step 4: Painting Execution
    • Final portraits depict the women in couture, replacing Wiley’s usual “urban gear” with high fashion.

Thematic Objectives

  • “Flip the Script”
    • Wiley seeks to reverse expectations:
      • Audience expects his subjects in modern streetwear; instead they see couture glamour.
      • Challenges the “fetishized” gaze often directed at Black bodies and urban style.
  • Reclaiming Art-Historical Space
    • By inserting contemporary Black women into visual languages once reserved for European aristocracy, Wiley expands the canon.
  • Individualized Representation
    • Each gown and pose tailored to the sitter’s personality, countering homogenizing depictions often found in historical portraiture.

Historical & Artistic Context

  • Traditional European portraiture often signaled status, power, and wealth through opulent clothing.
  • Wiley’s earlier work: Black men in hoodies, jerseys, and sneakers juxtaposed with baroque floral backgrounds.
    • The new series disrupts this pattern both in subject gender and wardrobe.
  • Collaboration echoes past synergies between painters and fashion designers (e.g., Charles James & Cecil Beaton, Yves Saint Laurent & Warhol).

Ethical, Philosophical, and Social Implications

  • Representation & Visibility
    • Offers Black women a space historically denied to them.
  • Economy & Labor
    • The couture process underscores hidden labor (pattern making, hand-sewing) paralleling the unseen labor of painting.
  • Power Dynamics
    • Street-casting can raise questions of agency: Are sitters fully empowered co-authors or subjects of the artist’s vision?

Real-World Relevance

  • Resonates with contemporary conversations about inclusivity in both high fashion and fine art.
  • Inspires similar cross-disciplinary collaborations between visual artists and fashion houses.

Numerical / Statistical References

  • No explicit numerical data, formulas, or statistics are provided in the transcript; therefore, none are presented here.