…unveil own portrait ahead Juneteenth display at Presidential Center
Agency Report
Former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have unveiled their first collaborative portrait together, created by acclaimed Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby. The artwork, described by the Obamas as a reflection of “so many chapters” of their shared journey, will go on public display in the Hope and Change lobby of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago starting this Juneteenth.
The unveiling marks a significant moment for the Presidential Center, which has positioned art and storytelling as central to its mission of inspiring civic engagement. By commissioning Akunyili Crosby, a Los Angeles-based painter known for blending photorealism, drawing, and collage, the Obamas chose an artist whose own narrative mirrors themes of identity, migration, and cultural duality that have defined their public lives.
“It was great joining Njideka Akunyili Crosby — a gifted Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based artist — to unveil our first portrait together,” President Obama said during the private reveal. “This piece reflects so many chapters of Michelle and my story, and we’re thrilled that it will be on display in the Hope and Change lobby at the Obama Presidential Center starting this Juneteenth.”
Mrs. Obama echoed the sentiment, noting that the portrait captures more than a likeness. “Art has always helped us tell the fuller story of who we are,” she said. “Njideka’s work invites viewers to see the layers — the personal moments, the public service, the love, and the purpose — that brought us to this point.”
An artist with shared roots
Njideka Akunyili Crosby, 41, was born in Enugu, Nigeria, and moved to the United States as a teenager. She has become one of the most celebrated contemporary artists of her generation, with works held in the Tate Modern, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her signature style layers intimate domestic scenes with political and cultural references, often exploring the tension and harmony between Nigerian heritage and American life.
That approach made her a natural choice for the Obamas, whose own story spans Honolulu, Chicago, Harvard, the White House, and now post-presidency work through the Obama Foundation. Unlike traditional presidential portraits that emphasize formal pose and historical gravitas, Akunyili Crosby’s piece is expected to foreground narrative detail — family, community, and the lived experience behind the historic milestones.
Art critics who have followed Akunyili Crosby’s career say her selection continues a deliberate pattern set by the Obamas in 2018, when they commissioned Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald to paint their official Smithsonian portraits. Those portraits broke precedent by featuring Black artists and reimagined the visual language of presidential portraiture. This new collaboration pushes that evolution further by showing the couple together, and by placing the work inside the Presidential Center rather than limiting it to a museum collection.
Juneteenth opening carries symbolic weight
The decision to debut the portrait on Juneteenth is intentional. Juneteenth, observed on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned of their emancipation — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a federal holiday in 2021 and has since taken on broader meaning as a day to reflect on freedom, progress, and the ongoing work of racial equity.
Placing the portrait in the “Hope and Change” lobby ties the artwork directly to the theme that defined Obama’s 2008 campaign and presidency. The lobby serves as the first major gallery space visitors encounter at the Presidential Center, which is under construction on Chicago’s South Side. Foundation officials say the space is designed to connect the Obamas’ personal story to larger American narratives of aspiration and resilience.
“We want people to walk in and immediately feel invited into the conversation,” a Presidential Center spokesperson said. “This portrait, at this moment, in this space, does that. It’s about legacy, but it’s also about looking forward.”
What the portrait reveals
While full images of the work have not been released to the public ahead of Juneteenth, statements from the Obamas suggest the painting moves beyond a single moment in time. Akunyili Crosby is known for constructing scenes from memory, photographs, and cultural artifacts, creating compositions that read like visual memoirs.
Observers expect the portrait to incorporate elements that reference the couple’s Chicago roots, their years in the White House, and their post-presidency focus on leadership development and civic participation through the Obama Foundation’s programs. The inclusion of domestic detail — a hallmark of Akunyili Crosby’s work — may also highlight the family life that the Obamas have consistently centered despite decades in the public eye.
For Akunyili Crosby, the commission represents both a professional milestone and a personal one. As a Nigerian immigrant who built her career in Los Angeles, she joins a small group of artists tasked with shaping how future generations will visually remember one of the most consequential presidencies in U.S. history. Her perspective adds a global dimension to the story, reflecting the diasporic experience that connects Nigeria, the United States, and communities worldwide.
Looking ahead to the Presidential Center opening
The Obama Presidential Center is scheduled to open its museum and public spaces in phases, with the Hope and Change lobby and its inaugural exhibitions set to welcome visitors this summer. The portrait’s debut on Juneteenth will be among the first major cultural events tied to the Center’s opening calendar.
Foundation leaders say the goal is for the Center to function not just as a repository of presidential history, but as a living space for dialogue and action. Art, they argue, is one of the most direct ways to spark that engagement.
“This portrait is an invitation,” Mrs. Obama said. “An invitation to see our story, yes, but more importantly, to see your own story in it — and to think about what chapter you’ll write next.”
With the Juneteenth unveiling now set, Chicago and the broader public will soon have the chance to experience Akunyili Crosby’s interpretation of the Obamas’ journey firsthand. For an artist, a former president, and a former first lady whose lives have each crossed continents and cultures, the painting stands as both a culmination and a beginning.
