--- title: Artist Kehinde Wiley Explains Why 'Empire' Is So Successful description: Why do we love "Empire" so much? Because "America is Empire." canonical: https://time.com/4042567/empire-artist-kehinde-wiley/ author: Salima Koroma article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-09-21T17:11:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-05T08:32:04.045Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Artist Kehinde Wiley Explains Why 'Empire' Is So Successful og:description: Why do we love "Empire" so much? Because "America is Empire" og:url: https://time.com/4042567/empire-artist-kehinde-wiley/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb7d57c0201dfb314/69886489428a9e6a02ccf39a/wiley1280.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1280 og:image:height: 720 og:image:alt: wiley1280 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Artist Kehinde Wiley Explains Why 'Empire' Is So Successful twitter:description: Why do we love "Empire" so much? Because "America is Empire" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb7d57c0201dfb314/69886489428a9e6a02ccf39a/wiley1280.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Artist Kehinde Wiley Explains Why _Empire_ Is So Successful > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with Ally. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Artist Kehinde Wiley Explains Why "Empire" Is So Successful [Watch (HLS stream): Artist Kehinde Wiley Explains Why "Empire" Is So Successful](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/dmqPxDKk.m3u8) (3:14)  _Published 2015-09-21. Why do we love Empire so much? Because "America is Empire"_ by [Salima Koroma](https://time.com/author/salima-koroma/) ## Salima Koroma Sep 21, 2015 5:11 PM UTC by [Salima Koroma](https://time.com/author/salima-koroma/) ## Salima Koroma Sep 21, 2015 5:11 PM UTC When one of _Empire_‘s masterminds, creator and director Lee Daniels, asked New York-based artist Kehinde Wiley to be a part of the show, he added—according to Wiley—”\[The show\] will either be the hugest success or the biggest car wreck known to man.” And we all know how that turned out. _Empire_ was one of the highest-rated shows on television last season, edged out in its demographic only by Monday Night Football. And its season 2 premiere is highly anticipated. The show stars Terrence Howard as the head of Empire Entertainment and Taraji P. Henson as his ex-wife newly released from prison. Together—and sometimes in opposition to each other—they work to make the record label the stuff of legend. Kehinde Wiley’s art—colorful, bold and attention-grabbing—graces the walls of the Empire set, earning him a growing following on social media. “I get tons and tons of comments from people who knew nothing about my work, much less the work of some of my peers, ” he said, “and by virtue of this little television show, it’s starting to change the conversation.” Wiley believes _Empire_ is a reflection of America. “It’s music, it’s panache, it’s love of art and bling. America is _Empire_. The surprise was that _Empire_ is also seeded with levels of complexity that people had not expected.” Watch the video above to see why Wiley thinks _Empire_ is blowing up. [_Subscribe to TIME’s YouTube channel to watch more videos like the one featured above_](https://www.youtube.com/time) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] I know you don't know it because you don't live here but this is my house. And that's my chair. From now on I handle everything. [ MUSIC ] You are wasting my time. You wasting my time. The song whack dad. I did not expect Empire to be as big as it was. Lee Daniels is a very dear friend of mine, and he said, I've got this little project I'm working on, would you mind lending your paintings? And of course I said yes, and we were all waiting to see what it would be. He said it was either going to be the hugest success or the biggest car wreck known to man. And, of course, we know where that went. Stop [ UNKNOWN ] in my office, you're not wanted here. [ MUSIC ] I'm gonna call you back. People are paying attention On social media alone, I get tons and tons of comments and get tons and tons of new fans. People who knew nothing about my work, much less the work of some of my peers. And by virtue of this little television show, it's starting to change the conversation. The work in the show speaks to a type of cultural temperature right now. You look at people like Jay- Z, who collaborated with Marina Abramovic for the Picasso Baby video. You look at people like Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, who are collecting voraciously. What's going on? Well what's going on is the art world no longer exists on this ivory tower system. The group of artists who are now being allowed access Is broadening, and the level of interest comes from all walks of life. Not only the small privileged few of the 1 %, but now those people who are looking at some of their cultural icons being interested in contemporary art or being turned on. It's a really exciting time to be an artist. And it's a really scary time for the old guard. [ MUSIC ] Empire is an indirect relationship to the drama that America is. It's music, it's panache, it's love of art and bling. America is Empire. You think I came here dressed like this for a friendly get- together? The surprise was that Empire is also seeded with levels of complexity that people had not expected. Your sexuality, that's a choice. You can choose to sleep with women if you want. It's this jagged little pill that has at once the sweetness Of an exterior coat and the medicine inside. The beauty and the success of this show is that it's about high and low. It's about all of it. And so it's really hard for critics to take one part and leave the other part out. In the end it becomes this very interesting portrait of where America is right now. Now. We're done? Yes. [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4042567/empire-artist-kehinde-wiley/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4042567/empire-artist-kehinde-wiley/"},"headline":"Artist Kehinde Wiley Explains Why Empire Is So Successful","datePublished":"2015-09-21T17:11:41.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-05T08:32:04.045Z","description":"Why do we love Empire so much? 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