Kehinde Wiley refutes allegations of sexual misconduct.
On Instagram recently, Joseph Awuah-Darko, a British-Ghanaian artist and curator, alleged that British contemporary artist Wiley sexually assaulted him twice in 2021. Awuah-Darko claimed that the first encounter happened at a dinner celebrating Wiley's work at the Noldor Artist Residency in Ghana, where he serves as the founder and chairman.
In his post, Awuah-Darko described being "inappropriately groped" by Wiley in front of another guest and that it was "unwelcome and unprovoked." He also detailed a more severe incident later in the day without providing further details. (In a subsequent interview with the New York Times, Awuah-Darko stated that a consensual encounter evolved into a violent attack after he had explicitly rejected Wiley's advances.)
Awuah-Darko expressed the traumatic nature of these events, explaining, "the assaults almost destroyed me." He hoped that his story would inspire others to share their similar experiences.
Wiley denied these allegations on his Instagram, insisting that "Someone I had a brief, consensual relationship with almost three years ago is now making a false accusation about our time together. These claims are not true and are an affront to all victims of sexual abuse."
"I have no idea why he has decided to target me in this way ... but I hope he gets the help he needs for whatever he is going through," Wiley continued.
Wiley's representatives sent a cease and desist letter to Awuah-Darko, demanding he remove what they considered "categorically false and defamatory" posts detailing the assaults. The letter labelled Awuah-Darko's allegations as "malicious" and aimed at "ruining [his] reputation for... financial gain and attention."
Awuah-Darko and his legal representative did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment, yet he admitted in his original statement on Instagram that he "did not immediately confront the reality of my abuse as such," and it took "several months to reconcile with what had actually happened."
Awuah-Darko had mentioned in an earlier Instagram video from March that he was "sexually assaulted by someone who outranks [him] in privilege, power..." while working towards raising $200,000 for legal fees. He revealed Monday that he intended to take legal action.
Awuah-Darko's legal representative did not respond to CNN's inquiries. Awuah-Darko added in his Sunday Instagram post that coming forward with his story in Ghana would have been "problematic at best — dangerous at worst," considering the country's overall attitudes towards the LGBTQ community. In February, Ghana's parliament passed a bill criminalising LGBTQ relationships and supporting LGBTQ rights.
Wiley gained international recognition in 2017 when chosen to create Obama's official portrait for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. His completed work featured Obama against a backdrop of green foliage, adorned with symbolic flowers.
Before his commission at the Smithsonian, Wiley had already established a successful career in portraiture and sculpture, depicting black subjects in the style of Old Master paintings with a flamboyant, ornate effect. As seen here, discussing a vibrant depiction of the 44th president.
"I'm aware I'm not the perfect sexual assault victim," Awuah-Darko stated in a New York Times interview. "But this is what happened to me."
Despite facing financial and reputational losses, Awuah-Darko still plans on filing a lawsuit against Wiley.
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After the allegations, the art world celebrated notable artist Kehinde Wiley's style in a new light, yet some critics questioned whether his work should continue to be celebrated in the wake of these serious claims. The controversy surrounding Wiley's personal conduct highlighted the complex relationship between an artist's work and their personal life, particularly in the realm of high art and portraiture.
Source: edition.cnn.com
