Share

Obama portraits unveil a blend of colour, culture and politics

Washington — When Barack Obama speaks, people listen. At least they did when he was in the White House. But that kind of authority didn't hold much sway when it came time for his presidential portrait.

At a ceremony on Monday to unveil portraits of him and former first lady Michelle Obama, the former president said artist Kehinde Wiley cheerfully ignored almost all of his suggestions.

"He listened very thoughtfully to what I had to say before doing exactly what he always intended to do," he said. "I tried to negotiate less gray hair, but Kehinde's artistic integrity would not allow it. I tried to negotiate smaller ears and struck out on that as well."

The final product depicts Obama sitting in a straight-backed chair, leaning forward and looking serious while surrounded by greenery and flowers. Michelle Obama's portrait, painted by Amy Sherald, shows her in a black and white dress looking thoughtful with her hand on her chin.

Both artists were personally chosen by the Obamas.

SEE THE PORTRAITS HERE:

barack obama, michelle obama

The portraits will now hang in the National Portrait Gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian group of museums. The gallery has a complete collection of presidential portraits. A different set of portraits of the former first couple will eventually hang in the White House.

"I am humbled, I am honoured, I am proud," Michelle Obama said. "Young people, particularly girls and girls of colour, in future years will come to this place and see someone who looks like them hanging on the walls of this incredible institution."

Barack Obama spoke of his choice of Wiley, saying the two men shared multiple parallels in their upbringing; both had African fathers who were largely absent from their lives and American mothers who raised them.

Wiley said the depiction of Obama surrounded by greenery and flowers was meant to "chart his path on earth" through the choice of flowers. The painting includes chrysanthemums, which are the official flower of Chicago; jasmine to evoke Hawaii, where Obama largely grew up; and African blue lilies to honour Obama's Kenyan father.

"Being the first African-American painter to paint the first African-American president, it doesn't get any better than that," he said.

The former president drew multiple laughs from the audience for his remarks, starting out by praising Sherald for capturing, "the grace and beauty and charm and hotness of the woman that I love."

He also touched on the process of sitting for the portrait saying he found it to be a frustrating experience.

"I don't like posing. I get impatient and start looking at my watch," he said, "but working with Kehinde was a great joy."

WATCH BARACK, MICHELLE AND THE ARTISTS SPEAK ABOUT THE PORTRAITS HERE:

The portraits drew wildly divergent reactions on Twitter and elsewhere, with the hashtag #obamaportraits trending throughout the day.

Obama opponents took the opportunity to take shots at the former president and digitally edit Make America Great Again hats onto the portrait. Others dug into Wiley's previous body of work and found a pair of racially charged paintings that showed black women holding the severed heads of white women.

Among Obama supporters online, there was a bit of grumbling that Michelle Obama's portrait didn't resemble her enough, but the overall tone was of how much people missed having the Obamas in the White House.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE