Post by David Zwirner

The Obama Presidential Center unveiled the first official portrait of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama together, by Njideka Akunyili Crosby this weekend. This landmark commission will be on view in the main lobby of the museum at the Obama Presidential Center, which opens in Chicago this coming Friday on Juneteenth. The portrait weaves together archival imagery, family albums, historical ephemera, and cultural touchstones. Densely layered and rich with biographical detail, the work honors the Obamas’ legacy while connecting it to the many generations of artists, activists, citizens, and leaders whose collective journeys helped pave their way to the White House. This first dual portrait of the Obamas depicts them as both public figures and people with layered private lives. Using her signature photo-transfer technique, Akunyili Crosby incorporates images significant to the couple and those from our shared cultural memory. Rich detail situates the Obamas’ public lives within the personal histories that shaped them: a window frames the scene, its arches echoing the Oval Office, while the view centers Mrs. Obama’s childhood home, her father’s Buick parked out front. Learn more and plan your visit to experience this remarkable work in person: https://zwrnr.art/4e52vxo — Njideka Akunyili Crosby, The Obamas: Springing Forth, 2026 (detail). Photo by Marten Elder