Jordan Casteel's Kevin the Kiteman 7 Studio Museum artworks you should see for yourself

By Isabele Bekele

To celebrate its comeback, the museum opened with a range of exhibitions emblematic of its collection of more than 8,000 pieces. Here, we share some of our favourite pieces on display.

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While attending Studio Museum’s artist-in-residence programme, Jordan Casteel would, from her vantage point in the studios, often spot a man in the courtyard flying kites. After meeting, it became clear that they had a shared desire to bring people together; Casteel was working on a project focused on capturing the surrounding community, while the man across the way desired to bring that same community together by sharing the joy of kite-flying. That interaction provided the inspiration for Kevin the Kiteman, a kaleidoscopic oil painting bursting with saturation. Following her time as a resident, Casteel continued to expand what Black portraiture could look like, experimenting with palettes and ignoring any rules about what colour represents Blackness.