Kehinde Wiley Limited Edition Towels

Sleep, 2008

This lightweight, limited edition towel features Kehinde Wiley’s 2008 painting Sleep, reimagined from Jean-Bernard Restout’s 1771 painting of the same name. With luminously painted skin, draped in funerary-like cloth with his feet crossed atop a wooden plank, Wiley personifies his model to reflect the theological narratives permeating throughout his oeuvre. In an attempt to differentiate his works from the singular figure studies of his time, Restout included wings and poppies to his subject, composing a larger narrative beyond the skill of the artist's hand. Although Wiley's rendition deliberately focuses on the physicality of his human subject alone, it simultaneously ushers in the weight of art history behind it, and it’s undeniable exclusion of black bodies.

Mrs. Waldorf Astor, 2012

This lightweight, limited edition beach towel features Kehinde Wiley’s 2012 painting 'Mrs. Waldorf Astor,' reimagined from John Singer Sargent’s 1908 painting of the same title. In collaboration with Riccardo Tisci, Creative Director of Givenchy at the time, Wiley’s model is enrobed in a custom-made white dress. A nearly identical composition to its 20th century counterpart, the background is flattened with plant tendrils, entwining around the models body and into the foreground.

Femme Piquée Par Un Serpent Study III, 2010

This lightweight, limited edition beach towel features Kehinde Wiley’s 2010 painting Femme Piquée Par Un Serpent Study III, reimagined from Auguste Clésinger’s 1847 sculpture of the same name. Wiley’s model lays sensually on a table of linen cloth, wearing blue jeans, an orange hoodie, and a gold chain. With his head tilted towards the viewer and underwear exposed, the powerlessness of being off one's feet is addressed as an erotic moment.

Other Details

"Sleep" - Edition of 750
"Mrs. Waldorf Astor" - Edition of 200
"Femme Piquee par un Serpent" - Edition of 200

Dimensions: 50% Turkish Cotton/50% Polyester, 32 x 72 in.