SAN ANTONIO – It’s a work of art that catches the attention of every visitor at the McNay Art Museum: a bronze sculpture of rapper, singer and songwriter Kanye West.
But how did it the popular piece end up the McNay?
According to museum spokesperson Rachel Trevino, the sculpture has been on loan to the McNay since December of 2018.
The sculpture is from the collection of Guillermo Nicolas and Jim Foster, who are both prominent local collectors.
Artist Kehinde Wiley was commissioned to create the sculpture and called it “Kanye, 2015.”
Trevino said the sculpture is on annual renewal at McNay so currently there is not an end date to see it in person.
West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, tweeted about the sculpture at the McNay last April.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) April 14, 2019
Another of Wiley’s large-scale paintings is on loan from the Nicolas-Foster collection.
It is Wiley’s reinterpretation of Sir Anthony Van Dyck’s Portrait of Mary Hill, Lady Killigrew from 1638.
Wiley is also the artist who was commissioned to paint President Barack Obama’s portrait in 2018.