As if we couldn't love Barack Obama even more, he has now chosen a gay man artist to paint his official portrait. Awesome!
The artists name is Kehinde Wiley, who is best known for his stunning paintings of young African American men in a glorified yet hyper realistic and modern style.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery made the announcement on Monday:
“The Portrait Gallery is absolutely delighted that Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald have agreed to create the official portraits of our former President and First Lady,” said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “Both have achieved enormous success as artists, but even more, they make art that reflects the power and potential of portraiture in the 21st century.”
Amy Sherald, who won first-prize for the Portrait Gallery’s 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, will paint Michelle Obama's picture.
Congrats to Kehinde and Amy!