Obama Portrait by Kehinde Wiley
Obama was portrayed by a Yale graduate professional painter, known to depict his subjects as regal and filled with color. His incorporation of different flowers, chrysanthemums, African blue lilies, and jasmine, each being the symbol for his upbringing, Chicago, African heritage, and Hawaii, respectively. Obama did ask the painter to go lighter on the gray hair and not depict his ears as large, but he said this jokingly and respected the painter's vision. Wiley became the first African-American artist to depict a presidential portrait for the National Portrait Gallery. I personally like the picture because I think Obama looks realistic and the symbolism behind the painting is interesting with its ties to his heritage.
No comments:
Post a Comment