New Zealand Filmmaker Taika Waititi
Credit: © Xavier Collin, Image Press Agency/Alamy Images

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will celebrate the accomplishments and heritage of Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Taika Waititi is a New Zealand filmmaker known for his comedies. In 2020, he became the first person of Māori ancestry to win an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. He won for the motion picture Jojo Rabbit (2019), based on the novel Caging Skies (2008) by Christine Leunens. He was also the first Indigenous (native) writer to be nominated for an Academy Award for a screenplay. Jojo Rabbit tells the story of a German boy whose mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home during World War II (1939-1945). The boy struggles with his beliefs in Nazism and anti-Semitism (prejudice against Jews). He confronts these ideas in part in the form of his imaginary friend, a buffoonish Adolf Hitler, played by Waititi in the film.

Taika Cohen was born on Aug. 16, 1975, in Raukokore, on the North Island of New Zealand. For his professional career, he later adopted the surname of his father, the Māori artist Taika Waititi, who also went by Tiger. Taika means tiger in the Māori language. The young Taika grew up in Wellington with his mother, the educator Robin Cohen. He graduated from Victoria University of Wellington in 1997 with a degree in theater and arts. At the school, he formed a comedy duo called The Humourbeasts with the comic musician Jemaine Clement. Waititi later directed and wrote a few episodes of the television series “The Flight of the Conchords” (2007-2009) in which Clement co-starred with Bret McKenzie.

Waititi made his screen acting debut in the motion picture Scarfies (1999). He showed his first short film, John & Pogo (2002), at the New Zealand International Film Festival. His next short film, Two Cars, One Night (2003), was nominated for an Academy Award. Waititi’s first feature-length film was Eagle vs. Shark (2007). Both Eagle vs. Shark and his second feature film, Boy (2010), premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Boy is a comedy-drama about the reunion of a Māori son with his father, played by Waititi. Waititi wrote and directed Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). It surpassed Boy as the highest-grossing New Zealand-made film of all time.

Waititi and Clement co-wrote, co-directed, and starred in the short film What We Do in the Shadows: Interviews with Some Vampires (2005). It was expanded into a mockumentary (satirical documentary) film What We Do in the Shadows (2014), followed by a television series of the same name starting in 2019.

Waititi directed the Marvel Studios film Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and its sequel Thor: Love and Thunder (2022), which he also cowrote. He provided the voice for the rocklike warrior Korg in these and other Marvel Studios productions. Waititi has also worked on projects set in the “Star Wars” universe. Starting in 2022, he produced the comedy series “Our Flag Means Death.” The show follows Stede Bonnet, an aristocrat turned pirate who sailed with the famous Blackbeard, played by Waititi.

Musician Doja Cat
Credit: © UPI/Alamy Images

From the Grammy Awards to the Billboard Music Awards, Doja Cat has been winning all year long. Doja Cat is an American rapper, songwriter, and music producer. She rose to fame in 2018 after releasing the single “Mooo!” on the video-sharing website YouTube.

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini was born on Oct. 21, 1995, in Tarzana, outside Los Angeles, California, to a Jewish American mother and South African father. Her mother, Deborah Sawyer, worked as a graphic designer. Her father, Dumisani Dlamini, was an actor in New York. Doja Cat lived with her grandmother in Rye, New York, northeast of New York City, for five years before moving to Sai Anantam Ashram with her mother and brother. The ashram was a Hindu worship community run by the musician Alice Coltrane outside of Santa Monica, California. Dlamini’s family then moved to Oak Park, California. Dlamini studied dance and piano throughout her childhood. She attended high school in Los Angeles, dropping out in her junior year.

In 2013, Dlamini began releasing songs on the music-sharing website SoundCloud under the name Doja Cat. The American producer Yeti Beats invited Doja Cat to record in his studio after hearing her song “So High” (2014). Through Yeti Beats, Doja Cat signed a contract with Kemosabe Records, part of RCA Records, in 2014. That same year Doja Cat released her first EP “Purrr!” and a series of singles. EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album. She released the music video “Mooo!” in 2018. The single went viral—expanding rapidly in popularity—on YouTube. Doja Cat released her debut album, Amala, in 2018. Her other albums include Hot Pink (2019) and Planet Her (2021).

Doja Cat has received many music awards. In 2022, she won her first Grammy Award, for the song “Kiss Me More” featuring the American singer SZA. At the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 15, Doja Cat won four awards, including top R&B artist.

Members of the South Korean pop group BLACKPINK are, left to right, Rosé, Lisa, Jennie, and Jisoo.
Credit: © Imaginechina Limited/Alamy Images

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will celebrate the accomplishments and heritage of Asians and Pacific Islanders.

Blackpink is an all-girl K-pop (Korean pop) music group that gained international fame in the late 2010’s. K-pop is a term used to describe music and artists originating in South Korea’s popular music industry. The most prominent K-pop acts generally are boy bands and girl groups with 5 to 10 members, but there also are smaller acts and many K-pop soloists. K-pop groups usually are formed and managed by entertainment companies that seek out talented individuals to present as artists after long periods of training. Many K-pop idols also pursue acting, modeling, and other careers.

Blackpink became known for its dancing, fashion, vocals, and eye-catching music videos. Blackpink is also known for its base of devoted fans, called “Blinks,” made up primarily of young women all over the world. Blackpink’s music combines elements of rap , hip-hop , pop, and electronic dance music (EDM). The group’s vocals are mainly in Korean, but it also has lyrics in English and Japanese.

Blackpink was formed by the South Korean music executive and record producer Yang Hyun-suk, also known as YG. The four members of the group are Jennie (born Kim Je-ni), Jisoo (Kim Ji-soo), Lisa (Lalisa Manoban), and Rosé (Roseanne Park). The group’s first release was a single titled Square One (2016), which included the songs “Boombayah” and “Whistle.” Since then, Blackpink has released many successful recordings. The group’s debut album was the mini album Square Up (2018). In June 2018, Blackpink became the first all-female K-pop group to reach number one on Billboard magazine’s “Emerging Artists” chart. Later that year, the group released its first full-length studio album, Blackpink in Your Area.

Blackpink’s popularity spread through the video-sharing website YouTube . In 2018, the group released a music video for the song “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du.” It reached 1 billion views on YouTube. The viral video also helped Blackpink to become the first K-pop group to reach 20 million YouTube subscribers, in March 2019. In 2020, Blackpink released its second studio album, The Album. It included the collaborations “Ice Cream,” featuring Selena Gomez , and “Bet You Wanna,” featuring Cardi B . The group has also collaborated on singles with other performers, including Lady Gaga .

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
Credit: © RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean pop music group that gained international fame in the mid-2010’s. The group is known for its expressive vocals, stylish image, sharp dance moves, and strong fan base and social media presence. BTS combines elements of rap, hip-hop , pop, and EDM. The group also is known for its lyrics about the challenges that young people face. The group’s vocals are mainly in Korean. It also performs lyrics in English and Japanese.

The members of the group are J-Hope (born Jung Ho-seok), Jimin (Park Ji-min), Jin (Kim Seok-jin), Jungkook (Jeon Jeong-guk), RM (Kim Nam-joon), Suga (Min Yoon-gi), and V (Kim Tae-hyung). BTS was formed by the South Korean music producer and record executive Bang Si-hyuk. The group’s first single was “No More Dream” (2013). The song deals with the pressures many young Koreans feel from their culture and society. Since 2013, the group has released many successful recordings. The band’s first full-length studio album was Dark & Wild (2014).

In 2017, BTS released the popular EP (extended play recording) Love Yourself: Her. An EP contains several songs but is not considered a full-length album. The EP’s songs “DNA” and “Mic Drop” became the first tracks by a Korean group to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). RIAA presents a gold record to an artist who sells 500,000 copies of an album. The group’s single “Idol” (2018) also became a huge hit. That same year, BTS became the first K-pop (Korean pop) group to reach number 1 on Billboard magazine’s “Billboard 200″ music chart, with its album Love Yourself: Tear (2018).

In 2019, the video for the group’s single “Boy with Luv” (featuring the American singer-songwriter Halsey) became the most-viewed debut in the history of the video-sharing website YouTube. The group’s full-length studio album Map of the Soul: 7 (2020) also reached number 1 on the “Billboard 200.” Later in 2020, the group released the single “Dynamite,” making BTS the first South Korean pop act to debut at number 1 on the Billboard “Hot 100″ chart. It was also the first song the group recorded entirely in English.

BTS also has worked on projects with other musicians, including the American rap musician Nicki Minaj, the American electronic musician Steve Aoki, and the American rap musician Desiigner. In addition, some BTS members have released solo recordings.

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Credit: © Walt Disney Studios

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. All month long, Behind the Headlines will feature AAPI pioneers in a variety of areas.

Marvel’s newest superhero and first-ever Asian lead has actually been around for a while. Shang-Chi is a comic-book superhero who is a Chinese master of martial arts. He was created for the American publisher Marvel Comics. Shang-Chi was featured in the motion picture Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings released in September 2021.

Shang-Chi was trained as a child to serve his father’s secret criminal organization. He developed superior skills in hand-to-hand combat and mastered various weapons. Shang-Chi also has advanced instincts and wisdom. In addition, Shang-Chi possesses 10 rings with supernatural powers. The rings are worn on the fingers in the comics, but they appear as iron bracelets in the film.

Shang-Chi was created by the American writer Steve Englehart and artist Jim Starlin. He first appeared in the 1973 comic Special Marvel Edition #15. From 1974 to 1983, he was the lead character of Marvel’s “Master of Kung Fu” series. Shang-Chi also appeared in such Marvel comic-book series as “Heroes for Hire,” “Agents of Atlas,” “Avengers,” and “X-Men.”

In the original comics, Shang-Chi is raised in an ancient fortress in China as part of a secret society. After being assigned to assassinate an enemy of his father, Shang-Chi meets a British secret agent named Smith. Smith reveals the criminal nature of the secret society. Shang-Chi’s father is Fu Manchu, a crime lord also known as the Master of Kung Fu. Shang-Chi agrees to work with Smith and British intelligence to stop his father’s criminal organization.

In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the character is played by the Chinese-born Canadian actor Simu Liu. The character’s origin story is largely rewritten, in part to correct harmful stereotypes present in the original comics. The creators and cast consisted largely of artists of Asian descent. The film was directed by the Japanese-American Destin Daniel Cretton from a screenplay by the Chinese-American writer Dave Callaham.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings follows Shang-Chi and his friend Katy in San Franciso, California. They are running from villains sent by his father, Xu Wenwu, who is armed with immortality granted by the fabled 10 rings. The characters travel to Macau, China, where Shang-Chi’s sister, Xialing, runs a successful underground fighting club. Xialing joins them to travel to the magical world of Ta Lo, the home of the sibling’s late mother and her warrior people. There, they confront otherworldly forces and Xu Wenwu’s secret society.

American musician Jon Batiste
Credit: © Ron Adar, Shutterstock

We don’t need an excuse to celebrate American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer Jon Batiste, but April is also jazz appreciation month! Batiste is known for his original compositions, combining New Orleans jazz with funk, pop, and R&B music. He has won a number of Grammy Awards for his music. This month, Batiste was recognized at the 64th Grammy Awards. Batiste’s album We Are was released in March 2021. In 2022, Batiste won five Grammy Awards including album of the year, best American roots performance, best American roots song, best score soundtrack for visual media, and best music video. He took home the most awards from the ceremony, hopefully making room on his shelves to display the trophies.

Jonathan Michael Batiste was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Nov. 11, 1986. He grew up in a musical family in suburban Kenner. Batiste began playing the conga drums as a child with his family band, the Batiste Brothers Band. Batiste began playing piano at the age of 11. He was accepted to the Juilliard School in New York City at the age of 17. Batiste formed multiple bands while in college, including the Jon Batiste Trio and Stay Human. While he was studying at Julliard, Batiste released two albums: Times in New Orleans (2005) and Live in New York (2006). Batiste earned a bachelor’s degree in classical piano in 2008 and a master’s degree in jazz studies in 2011. He recorded albums throughout his studies, including the EPs In the Night (2008) and The Amazing Jon Batiste! (2009), and the album My N.Y. (2011). EP stands for extended play and is a type of musical recording that includes several songs but is not considered a full-length album.

In 2011 and 2012, Batiste portrayed himself in Treme, a fictionalized television show based on his extended family’s experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Batiste also appeared in the American director Spike Lee’s movie Red Hook Summer (2012). In the movie, Batiste played a musician and cab driver named T. K. Hazelton.

Starting in 2008, Batiste worked as associate artistic director and music curator for the National Jazz Museum in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Batiste released the album Social Music with Stay Human in 2013. In 2015, he joined “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as the bandleader and musical director with Stay Human. Batiste’s music is featured on the album The Process (2013) with various artists. He released Christmas with Jon Batiste in 2016. In 2017, Batiste began serving as the musical director for The Atlantic magazine. Batiste released his first solo album, Hollywood Africans, in 2018. In 2019, he released the live albums Anatomy of Angels: Live at the Village Vanguard (2019) and Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard (2019).

Batiste co-composed the soundtrack for the Disney and Pixar Studios animated motion picture Soul (2020). He won an Academy Award for best original score. He became the second Black composer to win an Academy Award for composing music, behind the American jazz musician Herbie Hancock.

In 2003, the Japanese film Spirited Away (2001), by Hayao Miyazaki, became the first anime production to win the Academy Award as best animated feature film.
Credit: © Pictorial Press/Alamy Images

April 15 is National Anime Day, celebrating anime’s distinct style of animation that developed in Japan in the 1960’s. Anime is short for animeshiyon, the Japanese word for animation. Anime stories may be original or based on popular children’s tales. Many of the stories, as well as the overall look of anime, are taken from Japanese comic books called manga that became popular in the 1950’s. Anime has a flat look and features colorful images and heroic characters. The plots are often action-filled, with fantastic, futuristic, or political themes. Many anime characters have large, saucerlike eyes, small mouths, and wild hair. The characters often display exaggerated emotions.

An action figure display features the superhero Deku from the series My Hero Academia.
Credit: © Morumotto/Shutterstock

Anime television series and motion pictures are watched around the world. “My Hero Academia”  is a popular manga and anime series of the 2010’s and 2020’s. It was created by the Japanese artist Kohei Horikoshi. The series takes place in a world where most people have a unique inborn superpower that individuals can develop to become heroes. “Attack on Titan” is among the most popular manga and anime series of the 2010’s. It is an action and fantasy series set in a world where humanity has been pushed to the brink of extinction by the mysterious Titans. The Titans are giant, humanoid monsters that attack and eat humans on sight.

A life-sized model of a Titan greets visitors to a Japanese theme park attraction based on the series Attack on Titan.
Credit: © MR. AEKALAK CHIAMCHAROEN/Shutterstock

Other popular anime TV series include “Dragon Ball” (1986-1989) by manga artist and writer Akira Toriyama, “Pokémon” (1997-2002), “Cowboy Bebop” (1998-1999), “Naruto” (2002-2007), and “Fullmetal Alchemist” (2003-2004). Notable anime feature films include Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, and My Neighbor Totoro (all 1988); Ninja Scroll (1993); Princess Mononoke (1997); Ponyo (2008); The Secret World of Arrietty (2010); and The Wind Rises (2013). In 2003, the Japanese film Spirited Away (2001), by Hayao Miyazaki, became the first anime production to win the Academy Award as best animated feature film.

The character Goku in the anime series “Dragon Ball Z”
Credit: © Fuji TV

There are many types of anime, including action, adventure, comedy, romance, science fiction, fantasy, and the supernatural. Shonen anime features action or adventure and is targeted toward adolescent boys. Shojo anime features character development and romance and is targeted toward adolescent girls. Mecha anime features giant robots with human traits. Some types of anime have more adult themes, often involving violence or sexual material. Anime may be subtitled or dubbed in other languages for release in countries outside of Japan.

Manga comics surged in popularity in Japan in the mid-1900′s. The “Naruto” (1994-2014) series by Masashi Kishimoto became one of the top-selling manga series of all time. It is about the adventures of a mischievous young ninja.
Credit: © Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha Inc.

The Japanese animator and cartoonist Osamu Tezuka was a pioneer of manga and anime. He was greatly influenced by the animation of the American motion-picture producer Walt Disney. Tezuka created a number of popular manga series in the 1950’s that later became popular anime TV series. These include the TV series “Astro Boy” (1963-1966) and “Kimba the White Lion” (1965-1967). Anime often appears jerky because it typically uses fewer drawings than the animation of such major studios as Walt Disney and Warner Bros. Animated cartoons often appeal to children, but anime can be enjoyed by adults as well as younger viewers around the world.

Disney and Pixar’s animated movie Turning Red (2022)
Credit: © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

What’s red, fluffy, and loves boy bands? Pixar’s newest movie Turning Red is a big hit shining a spotlight on red pandas. Turning Red is an animated motion picture released by Pixar Animation Studios and the Walt Disney Company in 2022. It tells the story of a young Chinese-Canadian girl who discovers she can shapeshift into a red panda. The movie is set in Toronto. It was the first Pixar movie created by an all-woman leadership team.

Turning Red tells the story of the Chinese-Canadian 13-year-old Meilin “Mei” Lee, who lives in Toronto. Mei’s family includes her mother, Ming, and father, Jin. They maintain a Chinese temple dedicated to their ancestor Sun Yee. Mei works to balance pleasing her mother and being herself with her friends Abby Park, Miriam Mendelsohn, and Priya Mangal. Mei and her friends obsess over a boy band called 4*TOWN. After Ming embarrasses her daughter, Mei has a nightmare about red pandas and wakes up transformed into a giant red panda. Mei hides her transformation from her parents. But, she cannot keep her newfound ability hidden for long, and its discovery leads her to secrets in her family’s past.

The Lee family is voiced by Rosalie Chiang (Mei); Sandra Oh (Ming); Orion Lee (Jin); and Wai Ching Ho (Mei’s grandmother Wu). Mei’s friends are voiced by Hyein Park (Abby); Ava Morse (Miriam); and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Priya).

The film was directed by the Chinese-Canadian animator and screenwriter Domee Shi and the American playwright and television writer Julia Cho. The American actor and producer Lindsey Collins produced the film.

The film’s soundtrack, also released in 2022, features original songs written and composed by the Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson. The American singer-songwriter siblings Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell wrote three original songs performed by 4*TOWN in the film.

In real life, red pandas are adorable and unique creatures. A red panda is a medium-sized mammal with a red coat and a long, ringed tail. The red panda is also called the lesser panda, in reference to the much larger giant panda. Red pandas are not closely related to giant pandas or any other living animal. Red pandas live in bamboo forests on upper mountain slopes. Red pandas are arboreal—that is, they live in trees. A red panda has adaptations that allow it to climb trees easily including its tail for balancing and flexible ankles which allow it to climb headfirst down trees. They are found in parts of Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.

Human population growth in the Himalayan region threatens the habitat of the red panda. Deforestation has reduced the area where red pandas live in the wild. Red pandas are in danger of dying out completely. They are protected by national and international laws. Scientists and wildlife officials have worked to help ensure the pandas’ survival by protecting their habitat and breeding them in zoos.

American musician Jon Batiste
Credit: © Ron Adar, Shutterstock

For the 64th time, musicians gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday, April 3rd to celebrate the past year‘s music. The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. South African comedian and television personality Trevor Noah hosted the awards show. American jazz pianist Jon Batiste won album of the year for “We Are,” in addition to 4 more of the 11 awards for which he was nominated. R&B duo Silk Sonic won record of the year for “Leave the Door Open.” American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo won three awards. She walked away from her first Grammy Awards after winning best new artist, best pop solo performance, and best pop vocal album. Doja Cat and SZA won best pop duo or group performance for “Kiss Me More.” Although Kanye West was not in attendance, he and Jay-Z won best rap song for “Jail.” In the rock genre, the Foo Fighters stole the show—winning best rock performance, best rock song, and best rock album only a week after the loss of their drummer Taylor Hawkins. Billie Eilish performed “Happier than Ever” wearing a T-shirt with the photograph of Hawkins. BTS performed their hit song “Butter” with a James Bond theme. Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lil Nas X performed among other artists.

American entertainer Olivia Rodrigo
Credit: © Tinseltown, Shutterstock

The Grammy Awards are presented annually in the United States to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences. Grammys currently are awarded in more than 80 categories in pop, rock, country, jazz, blues, gospel, folk, rap, Latin, and classical music, as well as engineering, producing, and music videos. Lifetime achievement awards are also presented by the Academy to performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. Winners receive awards modeled after an old-fashioned record player called a gramophone. The term Grammy comes from the word gramophone.

American musician Billie Eilish in concert
Credit: © Ben Houdijk, Shutterstock

To be eligible for a Grammy, recordings must have been released during a one-year eligibility period defined by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Members of the Academy and record companies submit entries, which are screened for eligibility and category placement. The Academy’s voting members nominate five finalists in each category. Members then vote for the winners. The Academy consists of musicians, producers, and other recording professionals.

Members of the South Korean pop group BTS are, left to right, front row: Suga and V. Back row: J-Hope, RM, Jin, Jimin, and Jungkook.
Credit: © RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

The first Grammys were awarded in 1958. Since 1971, the Grammy Awards have been presented on a live television special. Today, the special is watched by many millions of viewers throughout the world. In 1997, the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences was established as a separate organization with its own awards ceremony. The first Latin Grammys were awarded in 2000. Latin Grammys recognize excellence in international Latin music in more than 45 categories. Latin Grammys are selected by voting members of the Latin Recording Academy and follow many of the same rules as the other Grammys.

American rap artist Lil Nas X
Credit: © Denise Truscello, Getty Images

New Zealand screenwriter and director Jane Campion.
Credit: © Kathy Hutchins, Shutterstock

Jane Campion, a New Zealand motion-picture screenwriter and director, won the best director for The Power of the Dog (2021) at the 2022 Academy Awards hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards on Sunday. The Power of the Dog (2021) is a psychological western set in Montana in 1925. The awards are better known as the Oscars. Campion’s win made history as the first time women have won best director two years in a row. Last year, Chinese filmmaker Chloé Zhao became the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award for best director, for the motion picture Nomadland (2020).

Campion is also the only woman to be nominated for best director twice. She was first nominated for best director for the film The Piano in 1993, which she wrote and directed. It tells the story of a mute young Scottish woman who is sent to colonial New Zealand to marry a stranger. The Piano won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes International Film Festival in France. Campion was the first woman ever to receive this prestigious award. She also won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for The Piano.

Campion was born on April 30, 1955, in Wellington, New Zealand. During the 1970′s, she earned a degree in anthropology at the Victoria University of Wellington, and an arts degree at the Sydney College of the Arts in Sydney, Australia, where she majored in painting. Campion began making short films in the late 1970′s. One of the films, the dark comedy Tissues, resulted in her being accepted in the Australian Film and Television School in 1981. Campion’s first notable short film, Peel (1982), won the Short Film Palme d’Or award at Cannes in 1986.

Campion’s first feature film was Sweetie (1989), which she co-wrote and directed. A sharp comedy about family discord, it won several international prizes. Campion’s next film, An Angel at My Table (1990), won awards at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival. It is a drama based on the autobiography of the New Zealand writer Janet Frame.

Campion’s other films include Portrait of a Lady (1996), based on a novel by the American author Henry James; Holy Smoke (1999); In the Cut (2003); Bright Star (2009), about the English poet John Keats; and The Power of the Dog (2021), for which she won a Golden Globe Award. Campion also co-wrote and co-directed the television miniseries Top of the Lake (2013).

Former United States President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama (both center) pose next to their portraits at their unveiling at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., in 2018. Barack’s portrait was painted by Kehinde Wiley (far left). Michelle’s was painted by Amy Sherald (far right).
Credit: © Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images

February is Black History Month, an annual observance of the achievements and culture of Black Americans. This month, Behind the Headlines will feature Black pioneers in a variety of areas. 

Until recently, tracksuits, flatbill hats, jeans, Nike T-shirts, and puffer jackets did not appear in many portraits in museums. Now in the National Portrait Gallery and galleries across the world, American painter Kehinde Wiley has livened up modern-day portraits. Wiley is known for his large, highly detailed, brightly colored portraits. His style has been called urban Baroque, a reference to the Baroque art movement of the 1500′s and 1600′s. Baroque art is large in scale and filled with dramatic details.

In 2017, Wiley was selected to paint the presidential portrait of former United States President Barack Obama. Wiley became the first Black American artist to paint an official presidential portrait. Wiley’s portrait of Obama was unveiled in 2018. It hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Wiley was born on Feb. 28, 1977, in Los Angeles, California. He was interested in painting from a young age. Wiley received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1999. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, in 2001.

Wiley served as artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem in New York City from 2001 to 2002. It was in Harlem that Wiley developed his unique approach to portraiture. He approached strangers on the street, asking them to pose for him. He photographed the subjects in their street clothes and then painted them in a classical European style. He called this process “street casting.” Wiley continued this process in such places as Morocco, Haiti, and India. Wiley’s signature background depicts flowers and foliage or abstract shapes. The bright, detailed backgrounds are reminiscent of the Baroque style.