The first official portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama together has been unveiled by Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby as part of a series of 28 original artworks commissioned for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. The unveiling took place ahead of the center's public opening on Juneteenth, where the Obamas viewed the large-scale painting in person for the first time. Upon entering the room, Michelle Obama immediately exclaimed, "Hi!" before rushing to embrace Akunyili Crosby, visibly moved by the work. The portrait depicts the couple seated side by side, rendered in Akunyili Crosby's signature style that layers personal and historical imagery into the background. To prepare, the artist and her team spent months studying the Obamas' books, speeches, interviews and archival footage, embedding those references into the composition. Barack Obama responded with characteristic humor, asking the artist why she had not dyed his hair darker in the painting, joking, "Don't they usually touch it up a little bit?" Akunyili Crosby replied, "I thought about it!" The former president also expressed admiration for his painted suit, saying, "I'm going to have a suit made with this pattern." Michelle Obama praised the artist, saying, "You know how long I've been wanting this woman to do something with and for me?" before hugging her and declaring, "We did it!" The portrait will remain on display at the Obama Presidential Center as part of its permanent collection.
Barack Obama joked about his greying hair in the portrait while ignoring the deeper symbolism the artist embedded from decades of his public life. Michelle Obama's embrace of Akunyili Crosby came after months of the artist studying their words and history, not just creating an image. The celebration of a joint portrait overlooks how rarely Black women artists receive such national commissions. This moment belongs as much to the unseen labor of a Nigerian-born painter as it does to the subjects she portrayed.
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