Portraits of Kanye West, 50 Cent, Russell Simmons, and other heavyweights of hip-hop are featured in painter Alexander Melamid’s Holy Hip Hop! exhibition, currently on display at Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
The life-size portraits of twelve icons of hip-hop culture capture the larger than life personas embodied by these men, who are among the wealthiest and most influential individuals of our time. Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Common, Kanye West, Reverend Run, Duke, Lil Jon, Don “Magic” Juan, Whoo Kid, Marc Ecko and Russell Simmons are portrayed by Melamid as they are in life ‚ serious, ambitious, powerful and compelling. The twelve, dressed in their everyday clothes, are rendered with Old Master style and quality, providing a provocative visual context and an association with masterpieces of the past. In these paintings, Melamid explores art, power and commodity, as well as displaying the wit that has long elevated his work.