The U.S. State Department removed a painting by artist Kehinde Wiley from the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic [1, 2].
The removal signals a shift in how the U.S. government manages cultural diplomacy and the types of art it displays in diplomatic missions abroad.
Officials removed the work after deeming it "very woke" and linking it to "woke ideologies" [2, 3]. The director of the State Department’s Art in Embassies program said the piece was "very woke" [1].
The painting had hung in the embassy for more than 10 years [1]. Despite its long-term presence, an unnamed State Department official said the work was "aesthetically terrifying" [2].
Reports indicate the State Department is now considering selling the painting [1]. Wiley is widely known for his portraiture, including the official portrait of former President Barack Obama [2, 4].
The Art in Embassies program typically curates works to reflect American culture and values to foreign audiences. The decision to remove this specific piece reflects a broader internal debate over the definition of those values in a diplomatic setting [1, 2].
“The painting had hung in the embassy for more than 10 years [1].”
The removal of a high-profile artist's work based on ideological labels suggests that the State Department's cultural diplomacy strategy is becoming more aligned with specific political definitions of 'wokeness.' By potentially selling the asset, the government is not merely rotating its collection but permanently distancing itself from the artistic perspective represented by Wiley.
