Michelle Obama: "No one has the right to sit in judgment of who is American enough. And that's why, folks, we simply don't have the luxury or time to be cynical or complacent."
It was great joining Njideka Akunyili Crosby — a gifted Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based artist — to unveil our first portrait together. This piece reflects so many chapters of Michelle and my story, and we’re thrilled that it will be on display in the Hope and Change lobby at the Obama Presidential Center starting this Juneteenth.
BREAKING: The first official portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama together has been unveiled and it's absolutely stunning.
Look closely at the tiny components of this piece...
"Tradition is not untouchable. We can own it, we can shape it, we can move it the way we need," Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby told Harper's Bazaar.
The artwork is one of 28 pieces that have been commissioned for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which opens later this week on Juneteenth.
Harper's explained that Akunyili Crosby’s masterpieces are "technically complex" and while they are designed to "resemble conventional figurative paintings at a distance" they are actually "composed of dense layers of embedded images, in something like a visual archive."
If you look, you should be able to spot a volume of the Harvard Law Review that was published while Barack Obama was the journal's first Black President. You'll also spot Stevie Wonder's "Talking Book," which was the first album that the former First Lady ever owned.
“Yes, he was the President. But she is incredible," said Akunyili Crosby.
“Nostalgia for the past is always a dicey thing. But that does not mean it wasn’t important for me to kind of touch upon the feelings we all had—and the hope," the artist added.
Now, more than ever, we miss the days when we had a dignified, compassionate, intelligent First Couple.
What can you spot in the portrait?
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The primary stormfront is still far to our W. That should eventually push through NJ from W to E between about 10pm and 2am tonight. There are some random isolated cells ahead of this that could hit earlier this evening, but again the main event is after sundown/overnight. If you get hit (tonight the best chance all week), storm winds could range from "just rearranging loose outdoor things/moving garbage bins" to "secure small human beings and expect missing shingles/downed branches and trees." Related power outages should be isolated statewide. Hail is possible, pea size to a half-inch. Downpours should be heavy and feel tropical. Lightning should be moderate-to-frequent. Small chance of tornado but most winds should be straight-line. As always, WNJ could get hit harder than ENJ due to marine stabilizing factors and loss of sunlight. However with the lifting trigger (cold front) and adequate shear, the main storm front should not weaken like it did the few times earlier this week. Will check in later when it's closer approaching. Be safe! JC