NEW YORK -- Kehinde Wiley was already well into his influential art career when his portrait of Barack Obama -- arms crossed, perched on a chair amid brilliant foliage -- was unveiled in 2018. But ...

Art history is filled with examples of the powerful and the wealthy communicating their status through portraiture. Not just sovereigns, but military leaders, aristocrats, and champions of industry.

Mr. Wiley, famous for his portrait of former President Obama, is now showing paintings of 11 current and former African heads of state. “This is not a celebration of individual leadership,” he said.

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. NEW YORK (AP) — Kehinde Wiley was already ...