Kha initially reacted to the news in an Instagram post on Monday (March 21). “After some disturbing complaints about my work, it was decided, and without my knowledge, the pictures were removed. I’m the only artist they have removed,” Kha wrote.
In Kha’s photographic piece, he’s dressed in a jumpsuit that recalls Aloha From Hawaii–era Presley stands in a room filled with kitchen and office wares. Kha and the Memphis Urban Art Commission, which helped facilitate the airport’s purchase of Kha’s work, denounced the removal. According to a statement from the UAC, Kha, who grew up in nearby Whitehaven, Tennessee, “has spent years doing documentary work about Elvis tribute artists/impersonators, and considers himself a part of that community.”
Brockman, president and CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority, initially explained the decision in an initial statement, saying that the MSCAA was “open to the possibility of commissioning new artwork” by Kha. “While we understand that the artist created the piece as a tribute to Elvis, the public reaction has been strong, leading us to revisit that original goal of avoiding the depiction of public figures in our art collection,” Brockman wrote. “As a result, the airport determined it was best to temporarily remove the piece while we determine our best path forward.”
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This article was originally published on March 22 at 3:36 p.m. Eastern. It was last updated on March 22 at 8:51 p.m. Eastern.
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