NEW YORK, NY.- Phillips and Black Rock Sénégal are partnering in releasing original signed editions of Kehinde Wiley’s Portrait of Marie-Agnès Diene through Dropshop. Since 5 December at a complete set of 30 prints was released, benefiting the renowned residency program launched by the artist. Portrait of Marie-Agnès Diene marks a significant addition to Wiley’s oeuvre, as it represents his first female portrait to be featured in a charitable print edition. Founded in 2019 by Wiley, Black Rock is a dynamic multidisciplinary artist-in-residence program dedicated to fostering creative exchange and dialogue through the African diaspora. All net proceeds from the Drop will benefit the celebrated program, which has hosted over 60 international artists in Dakar, Sénégal.

Black Rock Sénégal’s mission is to support new artistic creation through collaborative exchange and to incite change in the global discourse about what Africa means today. This charitable partnership marks the fourth annual collaboration between the artist and Black Rock Sénégal. Portrait of Marie-Agnès Diene follows the success of previous annual releases, including Dimietrus Study (2021), Sharrod Hosten Study III (2020), and Head of a Young Girl Veiled (2019).

Kéwé Lô, Director of Black Rock Sénégal, said, “This year’s print celebrates the artistic energy of Black Rock Sénégal. At the core of Black Rock is the intention to create spaces for creation and dialogue to galvanize artistic practice and build a thoughtful, positive, and engaged artistic community. The proceeds generated from the print editions are vital to the growth and development of our program and go directly towards supporting our artists in residence.”

Christine Miele, Phillips’ Director of Retail, Ecommerce, added, “The importance of Black Rock Sénégal ’s work and mission cannot be overstated, and it is our honor to work with them on this initiative. One of the central tenets of Dropshop is to amplify the voices of artists and causes to which they dedicate themselves. Through this partnership, we aim to do just that, raising funds for a program that immeasurably contributes to the cultural landscape of our shared community.”

Kehinde Wiley (b. 1977, Los Angeles) is a world-renowned visual artist, best known for his vibrant portrayals of contemporary African-American and African-Diasporic individuals that subvert the hierarchies and conventions of European and American portraiture. Working in the mediums of painting, sculpture, and video, Wiley’s portraits challenge and reorient art-historical narratives, awakening complex sociopolitical issues that many would prefer to 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, the artist debuted his first large-scale public sculpture in Times Square, New York, a bronze equestrian monument honoring the heroism of young black men in America. In 2020 Wiley received France’s distinction of Knight of the Order of Art and Letters. Wiley has held solo exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally and his works are included in the collections of over 40 public institutions around the world. Wiley is the Founder and President of Black Rock Global Arts Foundation and Black Rock Sénégal. He lives and works in Beijing, Dakar, and New York.