Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley

Keynote Speaker: Visual Artist Specializing in Portrait Painting; Painted Barack Obama's Official Portrait

Kehinde Wiley Biography

Kehinde Wiley is an American artist best known for his portraits that render people of color in the traditional settings of Old Master paintings. Wiley’s work brings art history face-to-face with contemporary culture, using the visual rhetoric of the heroic, the powerful, the majestic and the sublime to celebrate Black and brown people the artist has met throughout the world. Working in the mediums of painting, sculpture, and video, Wiley’s portraits challenge and reorient art-historical narratives, awakening complex issues that many would prefer remain muted.

In 2018 Wiley became the first African-American artist to paint an official U.S. Presidential portrait for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Former U.S. President Barack Obama selected Wiley for this honor. In 2019 Wiley founded Black Rock Senegal, a multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program that invites artists from around the world to live and create work in Dakar, Senegal. Wiley is the recipient of the U.S. Department of State’s Medal of Arts, Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal, and France’s distinction of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.

Wiley holds a BFA from San Francisco Art Institute, an MFA from Yale University, and honorary doctorates from the Rhode Island School of Design and San Francisco Art Institute. He has held solo exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally and his works are included in the collections of over 60 public institutions around the world. He lives and works in Dakar, Lagos and New York.

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Kehinde Wiley Videos

Artist Kehinde Wiley's new statue is "speaking back" to those looking
Kehinde Wiley: Rumors of War | The Art Scene
Artist Talk: Kehinde Wiley

How do I book Kehinde Wiley to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kehinde Wiley for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kehinde Wiley, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kehinde Wiley or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Kehinde Wiley for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Kehinde Wiley, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kehinde Wiley are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $50,000 - $100,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kehinde Wiley, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Kehinde Wiley speak about?

Kehinde Wiley is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Music, Black Heritage, Art, Black History Month, Literary, Social Activism, Diversity & Inclusion, Creativity, Entertainers and Entertainment.

Where does Kehinde Wiley travel from?

Kehinde Wiley generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Kehinde Wiley?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Kehinde Wiley for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kehinde Wiley for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kehinde Wiley or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Kehinde Wiley is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Music, Black Heritage and Art. The estimated speaking fee range to book Kehinde Wiley for live events is $100,000 - $200,000, and for virtual events $50,000 - $100,000. Kehinde Wiley generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Common, Damon Davis and John Holiday. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kehinde Wiley for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 18/09/2024.

Kehinde Wiley Videos

Artist Kehinde Wiley's new statue is "speaking back" to those looking
Kehinde Wiley: Rumors of War | The Art Scene
Artist Talk: Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley: Artist's Lecture

Kehinde Wiley Reviews

  • H.O.N.O.R. / African Ancestry J&J employee resource group - Mar 15 2022

  • It was a wonderful event and very well attended. People actually traveled from Chicago and St. Louis to hear him speak. Of all the art talks I have heard his was by far the best ... Wiley is very thoughtful and gracious man who has given a great deal of thought to the meaning and execution of his work. His talk had a profound effect on me, I highly recommend him to others who have an interest in booking him.
    Cleveland Public Library - Sep 01 2015

  • How do I book Kehinde Wiley to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kehinde Wiley for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kehinde Wiley, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kehinde Wiley or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Kehinde Wiley for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Kehinde Wiley, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kehinde Wiley are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $50,000 - $100,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kehinde Wiley, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Kehinde Wiley speak about?

    Kehinde Wiley is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Music, Black Heritage, Art, Black History Month, Literary, Social Activism, Diversity & Inclusion, Creativity, Entertainers and Entertainment.
  • Where does Kehinde Wiley travel from?

    Kehinde Wiley generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Kehinde Wiley?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Kehinde Wiley for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kehinde Wiley for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kehinde Wiley or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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