FLOURISH EXHIBITION

Flourish, Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam

In an extended collaboration with Museum Van Loon, Kehinde Wiley presents Flourish, his first solo exhibition in Amsterdam. Featuring eight new paintings, Flourish highlights the traditions of Western portraiture, the legacy of Dutch colonial presence, and contemporary art as a living social practice. Wiley’s research began in the museum’s portrait collection, whose ties to colonial history led him to Suriname. There, he encountered a society where cultures, times, and spaces converge, and he met the models who would embody his vision. Through them, Wiley reimagines the language of portraiture, translating historical forms into a dialogue with the twenty-first century. By honoring individuals who have historically been excluded from the walls of European museums, Flourish reflects on value, beauty, and grace today. The exhibition becomes a meditation on representation in addition to a celebration of the dignity and presence of those who stand at the center of Wiley’s art.