In October 2017, it was announced that Wiley had been chosen by Barack Obama to paint an official portrait of the former president to appear in Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery "America's Presidents" exhibition. The painting depicts Obama sitting in a chair seemingly floating among foliage. The foliage is described by the author as "chrysanthemums, jasmine and African blue lilies." Reacting to the unveiling of his portrait Obama said: "How about that? That's pretty sharp". The Washington Post described the painting as "not what you'd expect and that's why it's great". Together with Amy Sherald's portrait of Michelle Obama, the paintings were unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery on February 12, 2018. Both portraits mark the first time two African-American artists were commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery.
Reception
The unveiling of the portrait led to thousands of visitors lining up at the entrance, and a threefold increase in visitors compared to the prior President's Day Weekend. At the unveiling, Obama appreciated Wiley’s ability to show “the beauty and the grace and the dignity” of Black people in a grand way. Obama commended the painting for avoiding making him “look like Napoleon” as many of Wiley’s previous subjects were on horseback. National Gallery Director Kim Sajet supported both the selection and the artist’s rendition, commending Wiley on his ability to integrate popular culture into the realm of high art. Online media outlets had mixed reactions to the painting. Some see the portraits as political and historical commentary; elegant as an attempt to subvert the racist insults experienced by Obama during his presidency but vibrant enough to entice the viewer. The Obama portrait may also uphold the public image of the man himself as an intelligent, serious problem solver. The public response on social media ranged from likening it to simplistic art, to humorous reflections on the portrait in the form of memes, featuring cartoon characterHomer Simpson and using wordplay to comment on the use of bushes in the portrait.
