Barack and Michelle Obama Unveil Gripping New Joint Portrait Ahead of Obama Presidential Center's Grand Opening

Joseph KonigMon, June 15, 2026 at 7:56 PM UTC

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Former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama take in their portrait at the Obama Presidential Center on June 14Credit: Obama Foundation -

Ahead of the Obama Presidential Center's grand opening in Chicago later this week, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama unveiled their library's official portrait on Sunday, June 14

The massive painting was done by internationally renowned artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby

The joint portrait shows the Obamas sitting in a vibrant, colorful environment with references to their life together throughout

Ahead of the Obama Presidential Center's grand opening in Chicago later this week, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama got a first look at their official library portrait on Sunday, June 14.

Painted by internationally renowned artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, the massive painting of the Obamas features them sitting in a vibrant, colorful environment with references to their life together, their family and key moments in their marriage and the White House.

"It's us," the former first lady, 62, said in a video posted to social media on Monday. "And all of the stories within the stories."

The portrait, titled The Obamas: Springing Forth, 2026, stands at more than 9 feet tall and 10 feet wide and will be on display at the museum's Hope and Change Lobby, a public space that requires no ticket, according to the Obama Foundation.

"Before we get any commentary in, we just got to soak it in," the former president, 64, said as the portrait was revealed to him and Michelle for the first time on Sunday.

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama see their portrait for the first time on June 14Credit: Obama Foundation

The Nigerian-born and Los Angeles-based Akunyili Crosby said she began the process by sketching the former first couple and dove into research, including reading the Obamas' respective books and consuming years of interviews.

She later incorporated photographs and archival images as a layer on Barack's suit, Michelle's dress, and other aspects of the work before painting over them, according to the Obama Foundation.

"My whole studio got to know you," the artist told the Obamas. "I wanted to make these decisions that tapped into those memories so that when you saw this it felt familiar."

Former first lady Michelle Obama, artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and former President Barack Obama pose in front of the portrait at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Sunday, June 14Credit: Obama Foundation

"It was so challenging because it made me push myself; it took me out of my comfort zone," Akunyili Crosby added.

Michelle called it "beautiful" and later wrote on X that Akunyili Crosby's "artistic brilliance shines through."

"The way she infused such life and joy into the piece is truly extraordinary," the former first lady wrote.

Barack called the painting "fantastic" in the video and said, "I'm going to have a suit made with this pattern," drawing laughs from the artist and staff gathered for the unveiling.

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"You know how long I've been wanting this woman to do something with and for me?" Michelle said. "I mean, we did it!"

Former first lady Michelle Obama hugs artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby as former President Barack Obama looks on after the unveiling of their new portrait on Sunday, June 14Credit: Obama Foundation

Akunyili Crosby said it was "an honor" to undertake the project.

Featured in the painting, behind the Obamas and through a window, is Michelle's childhood home on Euclid Avenue in Chicago and her father's "beloved 1970 bronze, 2-door Buick Electra 225 hardtop coupe," the foundation said in a press release.

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Akunyili Crosby also depicted in the portrait small charms that Barack collected from constituents while he was president, plus the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. that was in the Oval Office during his tenure, the cover of Stevie Wonder's album Talking Book, various books the Obamas have authored or loved, and plants with "symbolic ties to the Obamas."

"The Obamas: Springing Forth, 2026" by Njideka Akunyili Crosby.Credit: Marten Elder

The sprawling Obama Presidential Center is set to kick off its grand opening this week, beginning with a ceremony on Thursday, June 18, and running events through the weekend. It will officially open to the public on Friday, June 19.

All of its many amenities and spaces will be free and open to the public except the museum, which will cost $30 for the general public and be free for Illinois residents on Tuesdays.

The South Side Chicago campus, across 19.3 acres, includes the museum — inside the eight-story, brutalist tower dubbed by some the "Obamalisk" — a fitness center, a Chicago public library branch, event spaces like the Hadiya Pendleton Atrium and the Elie Wiesel Auditorium, a state-of-the-art athletic center, and outdoor spaces like John Lewis Plaza, the Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden, and a 58,000-square-foot lawn.

Construction on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Jan. 13, 2026Credit: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty

The former president did have one critique of Akunyili Crosby's painting.

"My only question is, how come you didn't dye my hair?" the greying politician asked. "Don't they usually touch it up a little bit?"

"I thought about it," the painter responded, to laughs.

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