'The Obama Foundation revealed the former president and first lady’s initial reactions to the portrait in a YouTube video, in which Akunyili Crosby told the Obamas that she and her studio spent copious amounts of time reading the couple’s books and listening to their many interviews. “I wanted to make these decisions that tapped into those memories, so when you saw this, it felt familiar,” said Akunyili Crosby.'
Image: Njideka Akunyilil Crosby, The Obamas: Springing Forth, 2026Acrylic, colored pencils, charcoal, and transfers on paper
Unframed: 108 x 120 in
Framed: 115 1/8 x 127 5/16 x 3 5/16 in
© Njideka Akunyili Crosby
Courtesy of the artist, Victoria Miro, and David Zwirner
Commissioned by The Obama Foundation
Photo: Marten Elder
June 18 2026
