The official Obama portaits unveiled today. President Obamaâs portrait was done by Kehinde Wiley, and Michelle Obamaâs portrait was done by Amy Sherald, making the two artists the first African-American artists to be commissioned for portraits at the National Portrait Gallery.Â
âWhat I was always struck by when I saw his portraits was the degree to which they challenged our ideas of power and privilege,â Obama said.
The juxtaposition of contemporary urban culture with centuries-old postures and wallpaper-like backgrounds make for bold paintings, of which Obamaâs is Wileyâs most famous to date.Â
For her portrait, Michelle Obama chose Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald. Sherald is another African-American artist known for her unique style, and her portraits also tend to underscore themes of social justice. She often paints black skin tones in gray as a way to take away the assigned âcolorâ of her subjects. Sheraldâs work is less about realism in composition and more about shape and color; like Wiley, the choice of Sherald ushers in a new era of presidential portrait âŠÂ The former first lady said she was thinking about the impact Sheraldâs work will have on âgirls and girls of color.â
âThey will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the walls of this great American institution ⊠And I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives because I was one of those girls,â she said.
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