"African Influence Shines in Kehinde Wiley's Presidential Portraits"

Artist Kehinde Wiley, known for his portrait of former President Obama, has unveiled a new exhibition in Paris featuring portraits of 11 current and former African presidents. Titled "A Maze of Power," the exhibition aims to explore the concept of the African presidency through images, challenging the dominance of Western European cultural hegemony. While some of the presidents depicted have controversial human rights records, Wiley deliberately chose not to discuss politics with them. The exhibition opens amidst rising anti-French sentiment in Africa's Sahel region, where presidents seen as too close to their former colonial overlords have been ousted in coups.