‘Los Valores Que Nos Unen’

a composite of two images from a us embassy in dominica video showing the before on the left: a kehinde wiley painting of four dominican art students of various skin tones, the two women standing facing each other at the center holding hands, and the two men sitting on either side, against a background and veil of local flowers, and the after, on the right, of a giant vinyl tarp printed with a stylized us flag, with a state department seal where the stars go, and swoopy stripes, above a row of black chairs and stanchions. the caption in spanish mentions visual elements that celebrate the history and reflect the values that unite us
screenshots from the US Embassy in Santo Domingo July 15, 2026 IG reel

The removal of Kehinde Wiley’s 2015 painting, Young Artists After Siamesas 1960, from the US Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was part of a whole graphic makeover of the building unveiled in July 2026, which vinyl wraps every flat surface in patriotic slop.

Wiley’s painting, commissioned in 2013 for the new embassy, depicts four Dominican art students in poses referencing paintings by two Dominican modern artists.

If by hiding the painting behind a tarp they mean, “pretending there are no Black people,” I guess that is indeed a value that unites DR and the US.

The current ambassador, Leah Campos, is a former CIA employee whose sister was on Real World: San Francisco and is married to Sean Duffy, who was on Real World: Boston.