Nigerian-American artist Kehinde Wiley is facing sexual assault allegations from Ghanaian artist Joseph Awuah-Darko.
Kehinde Wiley is accused of assaulting fellow artists, twice in 2021 during a dinner held in his honour in Ghana. He also stated his intentions of pursuing a legal action.
“On 9th June 2021 – I was sexually assaulted by @kehindewiley. It almost destroyed me,” Awuah-Darko wrote. “I hope my words and openness about my painful experience empower others to come forward.
I hope all that unravels creates a path towards not only accountability but recompense and collective healing for other victims.” Darko said.
“I am actively seeking legal action and hope that speaking about my abuse will empower other victims to do the same” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Wiley vehemently denied the claims through his own Instagram post and a statement to ARTnews, calling them “false” and “defamatory.”
He claims their encounter was consensual and plans to take legal action himself.
There is currently no independent verification of either account. Awuah-Darko says he only recently processed the alleged assault, while Wiley questions Awuah-Darko’s motives.
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Both artists are well-established figures in the art world. Wiley is known for his portraits of Black subjects in the style of Old Masters and even painted the official portrait of Barack Obama.
Awuah-Darko founded an artist residency program in Ghana and is a collector of contemporary African art.
He also explained he only decided to open up at this time after confiding in his friend, who encouraged him to do so.
“Reconciling with the painful reality of Kehinde’s assault against me was something that I only accepted in late October 2023, when I confided in one of my best friends, who is a gallery
