Both of us had American mothers who raised us with extraordinary love and support. “What we did find was that we had certain things in common. Obama also pointed out his personal connection to Wiley – both men shared similar familial experiences that shaped their futures. The different flowers woven into the greenery include the chyrsanthemum, the official flower of Chicago, and jasmine for Hawaii, there’s even some African blue lilies, symbolic of Obama’s heritage. Wiley said he was “charting his path on Earth.” Wiley’s background choice was also indicative of Obama’s background. ![]() Wiley apparently took thousands of photographs of Obama in order to create the portrait, a process different than the typical “sittings” required for most portraits. The juxtaposition of contemporary urban culture with centuries-old postures and wallpaper-like backgrounds make for bold paintings, of which Obama’s is Wiley’s most famous to date. “What I was always struck by when I saw his portraits was the degree to which they challenged our ideas of power and privilege,” Obama said. And that’s what he did,” the former president said.īarack Obama’s choice of Wiley makes him the first African-American artist to execute an official presidential portrait for the National Portrait Gallery. “I had to explain that I’ve got enough political problems without you making me look like Napoleon. ![]() Obama also asked Wiley, who often depicts his subjects as regal and god-like, if the could ease up on those flourishes. I tried to negotiate smaller ears, struck out on that as well,” joked Obama from the podium during his remarks. “I tried to negotiate less gray hair, and Kehinde’s artistic integrity would not allow him to do what I asked. Obama said he tried to negotiate with Wiley about his look for the painting. The portrait depicts him sitting against a backdrop of green foliage. ![]() “How about that? That’s pretty sharp,” the 44th president said as he took the podium.
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