Kehinde Wiley "Notes on Blue" Tote Bag

This limited edition tote bag features Kehinde Wiley's 2021 painting titled Portrait of Aissatou Dialo Gueye II, which is from the new body of work that Kehinde developed during the period of COVID-19 in 2020. Kehinde spent this time in quarantine at Black Rock Sénégal, the artist compound and residency program he opened in 2019 on the coast of Dakar, Sénégal. In the absence of any ability to follow his traditional streetcasting methods, which enable him to find models at random on the streets of New York and many other international cities around the world, Kehinde decided to focus on the people and friends of people immediately surrounding him in Dakar. As Kehinde describes them, "What follows are a series of portraits that I might consider friends and family of Black Rock."

Aissatou Dialo Gueye works at Black Rock Senegal. She is posed here wearing a dress by Senegalese designer Sarah Diouf, who is also a good friend and collaborator of Black Rock. The background pattern, which features flowering fruit trees and vines, references a British textile originally produced by Liberty and Co. in London at the turn of the 20th century.

Measures 16 x 17 inches
Handle drop 11 inches
Two-sided canvas bag
Satin lined
Jacquard woven logo handles
Net proceeds from your purchase support Black Rock Sénégal, Wiley's artist-in-residence program in Dakar, Sénégal.