Nigerian-born artist, Njideka Akunyili-Crosby, daughter of the late NAFDAC Director-General, Dora Akunyili, has painted the first official portrait of the Obamas for the Obama Presidential Center. The massive portrait, titled The Obamas: Springing Forth, 2026, is over 9 feet tall and 10 feet wide.

This is the first official commissioned portrait to depict Barack and Michelle Obama side by side. Akunyili-Crosby, a MacArthur “Genius Grant” winner born in Nigeria and based in Los Angeles, used her signature photo-transfer technique to layer family photographs, historical imagery, and cultural references.

The colorful portrait is rich in detail. Njideka painted Barack sitting on a table, with his right leg touching the floor and his other leg resting against Michelle, who is seated beside him with her legs crossed. She added flowers and a window view of a bright day to enhance the aesthetics. On the right side of the portrait, just above the flower vase beside Michelle Obama, sits another painting that weaves in personal details: Michelle’s childhood home on Chicago’s South Side with her father’s Buick parked out front, the Martin Luther King Jr. bust from the Oval Office, Stevie Wonder’s Talking Book album, the Resolute Desk, books, awards, and even the couple’s four Grammy Awards.

Reacting to the unveiling, Barack Obama wrote on his Facebook page: “It was great joining Njideka Akunyili-Crosby—a gifted Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based artist—to unveil our first portrait together. 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.”