Nigerian-born visual artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby has achieved another historic milestone after creating the first official joint portrait of former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama for the Obama Presidential Center.
Key Highlights:
The portrait, titled: The Obamas: Springing Forth (2026)”, was unveiled during a private ceremony on Monday, where the Obamas viewed the completed artwork together for the first time.
The painting will be permanently displayed in the Hope and Change Lobby of the Obama Presidential Center Museum in Chicago when the centre officially opens on June 19, 2026, coinciding with the Juneteenth holiday.
The lobby will be accessible to the public free of charge, without requiring an admission ticket.
Rather than producing a conventional presidential portrait, Akunyili Crosby employed her signature photo-transfer technique to create a richly layered composition featuring family photographs, civil rights imagery, archival materials and personal cultural references that reflect the Obamas’ journey long before, during and after their years in the White House.
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One of the portrait’s most striking features is a window depicting Michelle Obama’s childhood home on Chicago’s South Side, complete with her late father’s Buick parked outside a touching tribute to the family’s roots and the experiences that shaped the former first lady.
The unveiling also featured light-hearted reactions from the Obamas.
Barack Obama jokingly remarked that he wished his hair had received “a little more attention” in the portrait before adding that he intended to have a suit tailored to match the one he wore in the painting.
Michelle Obama later praised the artwork on social media, saying Akunyili Crosby had “infused such life and joy” into the portrait.
Akunyili Crosby is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost contemporary artists. A recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, she was also named to TIME magazine’s 100 Next list in 2019.
Her internationally acclaimed works explore themes of identity, migration, memory and the intersection of African and Western cultures.
The commission places the Nigerian artist among an elite group entrusted with preserving the legacy of American presidents through art while bringing a distinctly Nigerian creative voice into one of the United States’ most significant cultural institutions.
For many Nigerians, the achievement carries added significance because Akunyili Crosby is the daughter of the late Professor Dora Akunyili, the celebrated former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), whose fearless campaign against counterfeit drugs transformed public health regulation in Nigeria and earned her international recognition.
The unveiling of The Obamas: Springing Forth not only celebrates the enduring legacy of Barack and Michelle Obama, but also underscores the growing global influence of Nigerian artists, reinforcing Nigeria’s place on the international cultural stage through artistic excellence and innovation.
