Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili-Crosby has received global acclaim after unveiling a commissioned portrait of former United States President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama for the Obama Presidential Centre in Chicago.
The artwork, titled “The Obamas: Springing Forth (2026)”, was commissioned through the Obama Foundation and officially unveiled on Tuesday, drawing praise from the Obamas and art enthusiasts worldwide. It will be permanently displayed in the museum’s Hope and Change Lobby, a public space open to all visitors.
The painting presents a seated portrait of the couple surrounded by layered visual references to their personal and political lives, including Barack Obama’s Harvard Law Review background, Michelle Obama’s childhood on Chicago’s South Side, and cultural influences such as Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book album.
Other symbolic elements woven into the work include memorabilia from the Obama presidency, a bust of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. once displayed in the Oval Office, personal photographs, books, family artefacts and the couple’s four Grammy Awards.
Reacting to the unveiling, Michelle Obama described the work as a deeply meaningful interpretation of their shared journey, praising Akunyili-Crosby’s artistic vision and emotional depth. Barack Obama also commended the piece, joking about his portrayal while applauding the final result.
The artist said the commission challenged her creatively and pushed her beyond her comfort zone, describing the project as both demanding and rewarding.
Born in Enugu State in 1983, Akunyili-Crosby is the daughter of the late Dr. Dora Akunyili, Nigeria’s celebrated anti-counterfeit drugs campaigner and public servant. She moved to the United States in 1999 and is currently based in Los Angeles, where she is recognised for her layered, collage-infused paintings exploring identity, memory and cultural hybridity.
Her work often depicts domestic scenes enriched with Nigerian visual culture and contemporary references, reflecting what she describes as a “hybrid identity” shaped by both Nigeria and the United States.
Over the years, Akunyili-Crosby has earned major international recognition, including the Prix Canson Prize (2016), the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s James Dicke Contemporary Art Prize (2014), and the New Museum’s Next Generation Prize (2015). She was also listed among Foreign Policy magazine’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers in 2015.
The Obama portrait joins a wider commissioning programme at the Obama Presidential Centre, which features works by more than 30 globally renowned artists including Julie Mehretu, Rashid Johnson, Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Jeffrey Gibson, Maya Lin, Martin Puryear and Theaster Gates.
