Diddy has millions of dollars. Not the millions that the rappers on the radio brag about. Diddy's got top of Forbe's list money. That type of cash allows the mogul to be an avid art collector. He purchased a piece called “Past Times" at Sotheby’s on Wednesday night, setting a record for the highest amount paid to an African American artist while still alive.
According to The New York Times, artist Kerry James Marshall centers his work around African-American experiences. He is a classically trained painter who uses his art to make bold statements in Black culture, and his work was introduced to Diddy by Swizz Beatz and wife Alicia Keys. The Bad Boy creator dropped $21 million on the "Past Times" painting.
Jack Shainman, Marshall’s gallerist and dealer in New York for the last 25 years, announced the winning bidder. In a statement to the Times, Shainman said, "I know that this work has found a home in a collection with purpose and an eye toward preserving legacy — that of Sean Combs, and that means a lot.” Marshall was influenced by Veronese and Rembrandt, and has large retrospectives at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, and the Met Breuer.