PAFA Alumni Success: Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s Obama Presidential Portrait

Nigerian-born artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby (Post-Bacc ’06), a PAFA alum, continues to shape the cultural moment through work rooted in layered histories, memory, and identity. Her recently unveiled official portrait of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, presented at the Obama Presidential Center, marks a powerful and historic moment in contemporary American art.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby’s “The Obamas: Springing Forth” (2026) is displayed in the lobby of the new Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Courtesy of Hyperallergic and recently published in “The Obamas Unveil First-Ever Official Dual Portrait,” by Isa Farfan, Hyperallergic, June 15, 2026.

A Signature Style Rooted in Layered Histories and Identity

Known for her layered compositions, Akunyili Crosby brings together painting, drawing, photography, and collage to construct deeply personal and culturally resonant images. Her work explores transnational identity, drawing on her experiences between Nigeria and the United States to examine how memory and history intersect in everyday life.

Njideka Akunyili Crosby (b. 1983), I Always Face You, Even When It Seems Otherwise, 2012. 2 panels, each: 78 x 78 in. (198.12 x 198.12 cm.), Acrylic, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, collage and Xerox transfers on paper. Museum Purchase, 2012.29a&b. © artist or artist’s estate

On View at PAFA: I Always Face You, Even When It Seems Otherwise

This distinctive approach is evident in I Always Face You, Even When It Seems Otherwise (2012), currently on view at PAFA in A Nation of Artists. In this two-panel work, Akunyili Crosby combines acrylic, pastel, charcoal, and transferred photographic imagery to depict an intimate domestic scene. On closer look, the surface reveals embedded references drawn from Nigerian magazines and family photographs, creating a visual language that reflects the layered nature of identity and belonging in a globalized world.

As a contemporary artist, Akunyili Crosby’s work bridges cultures and traditions, merging Western figurative painting with visual material rooted in her Nigerian heritage. The result is a body of work that is both deeply personal and widely resonant, offering a nuanced perspective on the complexities of contemporary life.

Her achievement with the Obama portrait highlights the impact of an artist whose practice continues to evolve while staying grounded in these core ideas. Created using her signature photo-transfer technique, it's a powerful example of what can begin in the studio and extend far beyond it.

Congratulations to Njideka Akunyili Crosby on this meaningful and historic accomplishment. It is the kind of impact we hope our artists have, and a reminder of what’s possible through a PAFA education.

What’s Possible Through PAFA's Fine Arts Certificate Program

PAFA’s Fine Arts Certificate programs offer rigorous, studio-based training rooted in observation, technique, and critical inquiry. Students develop the skills, discipline, and creative voice needed to build a sustainable and impactful artistic practice.

Learn more about the Fine Arts Certificate Program