Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby has created the first official joint portrait of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. The large-scale work, titled The Obamas: Springing Forth, 2026, measures more than nine feet tall and ten feet wide. It is on display in the Hope and Change lobby of the Obama Presidential Center, which opened on Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Akunyili Crosby said she immersed herself in the couple’s books, interviews, podcasts, and public appearances to create a portrait that reflected their story and felt personally meaningful. Born in Enugu, Nigeria, she moved to the United States at age 16 and is the daughter of the late Dora Akunyili, a former Nigerian drug regulatory official celebrated for fighting counterfeit medicine.
Forbes Africa