Commemorative textile with portrait of Barack Obama
date: label: Date
content: 2009
name: label: Designed by
content: Lola Faturoti, Nigerian American
label: Subject of
content: President Barack Obama, American, born 1961
notes: label: Caption
content: This cloth by Lola Faturoti draws influence from the textile traditions of kanga and kente. Though not in traditional kente style, Faturoti has called the work “her version” of the kente cloth. During the candidacy and election of President Barack Obama, similar commemorative cloths were produced on the continent of Africa and around the world. The inspiration for this pattern was “Jubilation, Celebrating the History of the First Black President.” The designer chose chiffon because it represents “air,” ethereal and grace; the waves represent the ocean ushering joy, happiness and newness.
label: Description
content: A length of commemorative printed textile by Lola Faturoti. The silk chiffon textile features images of President Barack Obama set against an alternating, wavy, stripe pattern in blue/white and red/yellow. Throughout the length of the textile are six (6) repeating portraits of Obama. Each portrait of Obama is outlined within an oval frame. The oval frame is white with text printed along the bottom half that reads [OLUWA GBA PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA] in Yoruba, which translates as "God Bless President Barack Obama." Underneath the oval is a graphic of a white banner, with text that reads [JANUARY 20. 2009]. A black and white graphic of Obama is depicted in the center of each oval, against a white and gray pebbled pattern background. The textile has a background design of a continuous blue/white and red/yellow pebbled pattern throughout. The pebble pattern is contained with thick black lines that create a wave-like movement in various directions. A white selvedge edge runs the length of the left edge of the textile, with color registrations printed on the top and bottom corners.
place: label: Place printed
content: Korea, Asia
label: Place made
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
label: Cultural Place
content: West Africa, Africa
label: Cultural Place
content: East Africa, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: African diaspora
label: Topic
content: Design
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Identity
label: Topic
content: Politics
label: Topic
content: Textile design
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 2001-
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Textiles and Quilts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Catherine E. McKinley
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2018.10.1
objectType: label: Type
content: textiles
label: Type
content: portraits
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: dye on silk (textile)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 49 1/16 × 45 11/16 in. (124.6 × 116 cm)