Renowned Ghanaian Artist Levels Explosive Allegations Against American Gay Portrait Artist Kehinde
Ghanaian artist, musician, and curator, Joseph Awuah Darko, has made shocking sexual assault allegations against globally acclaimed portrait artist, Kehinde Wiley.
The affair is reported to have occurred in 2021 at a dinner organized on the sidelines event organized under the auspices of the Creative Arts Council in Ghana, headed by one of President Akufo Addo’s daughters, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo.
So in effect, the alleged accused, Kehinde Wiley,was a guest of the Creative Arts Council which is already bedeviled with internal controversies.
The alleged victim, Joseph Darko has threatened legal action and called out Wiley’s alleged pattern of abusive behavior, which he claims is an open secret within the art world.
In a series of detailed social media posts, Darko described the alleged assaults and the emotional turmoil he faced in coming forward.
“To Kehinde: I thoroughly invite you to leverage your supposed credibility your influence, your loyalists and everything you have to gag those who come forward. Because I assure you, you will need it.
As for my own career as an artist-curator, whatever I may have lost from speaking my truth today was never mine to begin with. All I can do is pray for the strength, resources and support to see justice through and hope that others come forward to put an end to this pattern of abuse. Especially abuse at the hands of men like Wiley who deem themselves untouchable”, he has threatened.
He suspects this assault has not been perpetuated on him alone claiming a small piece of the incident posted on social media in March, has shown that this has been going in several places and countries including New York, Nigeria, Beijing and that other artists like him “have quietly expressed witnessing this pattern of predatory behavior .That this behavior by Kehinde has been treated as an open secret within the art world for quite some time”.
According to Awuah Darko the incident happened in June 2021, during a dinner in Ghana at the Noldor Artist Residency now Institute Museum of Ghana, founded by Awuah Darko, but this is the first time he is boldly coming out.
He said the delay in making the incident public stemmed from the shame he suffered adding he was so traumatized that he became suicidal.
Darko is hopeful that coming out will help encourage others who may have suffered similar acts to come out to speak out to get the needed healing.
“It almost destroyed me. 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.
I will continue to dwell in hope [fear is too easy] the only ideal sexual abuse victim is a dead one, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m here to face it. I’m here. To those who have above all believed me, sat with me, embraced me and seen me-Thank you,” he added.
“Let me now say that, much like same other documented victims [survivors] of sexual assault, I did not immediately confront the reality of my abuse as such. It would take me many several months to reconcile with what had actually happened to me. Secondly, given Kehinde’s self-described global recognition as a gay man, formally reporting this assault in a West African country like Ghana [where anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments are prevalent would have been problematic at best-dangerous at worst.
“In the years that have followed this abuse, I have gaslighted myself, consumed with shame, and even tried to harm myself. I asked myself several questions over and over again before coming out with this questions I imagine every abused person asks themselves”, Awuah Darko he said recently.
According to Awuah Darko, said to be from a wealthy Ghanaian family, the assault happened on two occasions when Wiley was in Ghana for official duties following invitation by Ghana’s Creative Arts Council.
Despite facing potential challenges in reporting the matter in a country with strict anti-LGBTQIA+ sentiments, Darko bravely shared his experience with the hopes of empowering others to speak out against similar acts of abuse. Wiley, known for his works featuring black figures including former US President Barack Obama, has categorically denied the accusations, stating that any previous interactions were consensual.
Taking to his Instagram (IG) page with the handle @Okuntakinte to make the explosive allegation, Awuah Darko said “On the 9th of June 2021, I was sexually assaulted [twice] by Kehinde Wiley. I first met the American artist of Nigerian descent at a dinner held in his honour by Ghana’s Creative Art Council at the Noldor Artist Residency.
The chosen venue was my place of work and an institution I founded in 2020. And as such I was to be present and invited in a professional capacity amongst other figures-all of whom play a major role within and beyond Ghana’s artistic and creative ecosystem.”
Baring it all in a series of posts on IG, Awuah Darko further said the first assault happened in front of another guest with Mr. Wiley. He said the act was unprovoked and unwelcomed especially when they had met only for two (2) hours.
“In the first assault, I was inappropriately groped by Kehinde Wiley who proceeded to grab my buttocks with his hands before then saying something along the lines of “what is this thing”. This happened in front of another dinner guest, while I was politely ushering them both up flights of stairs to use the bathroom during the said dinner. The act was categorically unwelcome and unprovoked-Wiley had barely known me for more than 2 hours by this point and I was wearing a modest dark green kaftan. I was stunned and concerned for two reasons: (A) this unsolicited act had occurred in Ghana at my place of work and (B) it was done by a critically celebrated artist who knew the power he wielded and seemed clearly prepared to abuse it. Nonetheless, I placated the situation with awkward humour and the dinner subsequently continued. The second assault was much more severe and violent”, he narrated.
But Kehinde Wiley, who was mentioned in the posts has hit back. The American artist who has several works on black people to his name including his famous portrait on former President of the United States (US) Barak Obama, did not mince words describing the allegations as false.
According to him, the act apparently was consensual. He practically rubbished the account of the Ghanaian but asked to be excused as he seeks to clear his name.
“Someone I had a brief, consensual relationship with almost three years ago is now making a false accusation about our time together. These claims are not true and are an affront to all victims of sexual abuse. I have no idea why he has decided to target me in this way-particularly when there is a litany of evidence showing his claims are false-but I hope he gets the help he needs for whatever he is going through. I kindly ask for privacy as I work to clear my name”, his reply on IG said.
The conflicting narratives have ignited a public conversation about accountability, transparency, and support for survivors of sexual assault.
Darko’s courageous decision to speak out serves as a call to action for the art community and beyond, urging a reexamination of power dynamics and the protection of vulnerable individuals.