Audio By Carbonatix
When you think of street art, you immediately imagine portraits painted in the style of the baroque era or students of the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, right? Perhaps not, but lo and behold, internationally renowned street artist Kai Guetta will soon showcase his series of portraits, “Now Royalty,” at Wynwood’s Lulu Laboratorium (173 NW 23rd St., Miami) for its national debut.
“Now Royalty” takes your average, ornately framed painting of one of the Habsburg kings of Spain or a penitent priest favored by the court of some wealthy duke in Bologna and replaces the subject with today’s most popular hip-hop icons. Kanye West, Rick Ross, and others are depicted wearing the classically ornate garb of European royalty from the 16th and 17th centuries (in the case of the former rapper) or the fine frock of a Flemish priest (in the case of the latter). The series ties in with Guetta’s body of work, which largely concentrates on consumerism and modern global fixations with the people and products today’s populace can’t seem to live without.
The exhibition will feature 27 of Guetta’s portraits of all your favorite megastars laced up in the hippest couture of the 1600s and will be unveiled with a posh reception (cocktails and hors d’oeuvres) this Thursday at 7 p.m. Visit lululaboratorium.com.
Thu., March 27, 7 p.m., 2014
