Kehinde Wiley Quiz: Obama's Portrait and Floral Backgrounds

This Kehinde Wiley quiz looks at the painter who placed contemporary Black subjects in grand Old Master poses. Play 10 interactive questions on his decorative floral backgrounds, Barack Obama's official portrait among foliage, the symbolic flowers in it, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, street casting, the sculpture Rumors of War and his Black Rock residency in Senegal.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Country
Which country is Kehinde Wiley from?
Style
Which tradition do his poses borrow from?
Backgrounds
What fills many of his backgrounds?
Obama
Whose official presidential portrait did he paint?
Leaves
What surrounds Obama in the portrait?
Flowers
What do the flowers in Obama's portrait represent?
Gallery
Where does the Obama portrait hang?
Horse
Which famous painting did Wiley reimagine in 2005?
Statue
What is Rumors of War?
Senegal
Where is his Black Rock residency?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which country is Kehinde Wiley from?
Answer: United States
He was born in Los Angeles.
Q2: Which tradition do his poses borrow from?
Answer: European Old Master portraits
He swaps in new subjects.
Q3: What fills many of his backgrounds?
Answer: Vivid decorative patterns
Flowers and textiles swirl around figures.
Q4: Whose official presidential portrait did he paint?
Answer: Barack Obama
It was unveiled in 2018.
Q5: What surrounds Obama in the portrait?
Answer: Green foliage with flowers
He sits in a chair.
Q6: What do the flowers in Obama's portrait represent?
Answer: Places tied to his life
Chicago, Hawaii and Kenya.
Q7: Where does the Obama portrait hang?
Answer: National Portrait Gallery
It is in Washington, D.C.
Q8: Which famous painting did Wiley reimagine in 2005?
Answer: Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps
A young man rides the horse.
Q9: What is Rumors of War?
Answer: A bronze equestrian statue
It answers Confederate monuments.
Q10: Where is his Black Rock residency?
Answer: Dakar, Senegal
It hosts visiting artists.

Old Master Poses, New Faces

Kehinde Wiley, born in Los Angeles, paints contemporary Black men and women in poses borrowed from European Old Master portraits. He often finds subjects through street casting and surrounds them with vivid decorative patterns of flowers and textiles.

In 2005 he reimagined Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, placing a young man in modern clothes on the rearing horse. In 2018 his official portrait of Barack Obama was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery, showing him seated among green foliage with flowers for Chicago, Hawaii and Kenya.

Wiley's bronze statue Rumors of War, a young man on horseback, answers Confederate monuments and stands in Richmond, Virginia. He also founded the Black Rock residency in Dakar, Senegal, for visiting artists.

What This Quiz Teaches

Art fans will enjoy these questions.

What his style is
Who he painted
What the flowers mean
Which sculptures he made
Which programs he founded

Did You Know?

Street casting finds his models.
Assistants help with patterns.
He works across several countries.
Stained glass works exist too.
Museums worldwide collect his art.