The piece was created by Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby for installation inside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which opens Friday on Juneteenth.
The work is part of a broader collection of commissioned pieces celebrating memory, identity, and the evolving story of American democracy. From a distance it appears as a traditional figurative painting, but up close it reveals layered imagery embedded within the surface, forming a kind of visual archive.
“In a world of Trumpian ugliness and cruelty, the Obamas continue to be shining beacons of optimism and hope,” the artist said.
Michelle is forever our First Lady.
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