Portrait of Michelle Obama by Drue Kataoka

02.16.09 | Category: Power Zen, Simplicity, Zen Government

Drue has recently completed a portrait of Michelle Obama. We look forward to your responses and reactions. Please view her portrait of the First Lady and read the story behind the portrait by clicking the link below:

MICHELLE OBAMA PORTRAIT

The Zen of “Portrait of Michelle Obama”

“In the Zen art form of Sumi-e, meaning is carried through monochromatic, clean brush strokes—but even more in what lies between these brush strokes, the empty space, the area of the imagination. The black brush strokes are Michelle. The white space around those brush strokes, or “negative space” is you and me. It’s thousands of Americans, and millions of people worldwide who look at Michelle and see themselves. But where does black end and white begin? The strokes and the spaces around them are inseparable. Like the Obama campaign and administration, my portrait is inclusive and open. Open to your interpretation, your participation and your involvement.”

-MichelleObamaPortrait.com

Interact with Portrait of Michelle Obama

Black on White: Portrait of Michelle Obama is a living work of art. Each person who views this painting becomes a part of it. Join this digital and artistic jam session and leave your response to the painting here at ValleyZen:

  • What do you see in this portrait?
  • What is Michelle looking at?
  • What spirit do you see in her eyes?

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8 Comments so far

  1. Vlasta Diamant 02.18.09 at 11:36 pm

    Drue,

    I immediately recognized her, before I read the title. To me the portrait speaks of determination, strength, rootedness. I like the lines and the interplay of the pearls’ hemispheres; just a hint, we know the whole object. They bring motion to a static moment, repeated in the folds and the outline of the garment. The more I look at the portrait, the more I like it. Since that womens’ caucus on the eve of the Election, I got a sense of the real Michelle Obama, a down to earth person, with integrity and common sense, informal, unpretentious – and got to like her. You captured the spirit, Drue, not just likeness – essential in a portrait.

  2. sandra 02.19.09 at 8:13 pm

    …pearls in her eyes and her eyes in the pearls… The radiance in her Iris is in harmony with the radiance of the white space. I see hair as a frame but not as important as the eyes: the mirror of the soul. I feel a certain sadness yet looking forward towards the future, with words not spoken, bound on the tip of the tongue of which closed lips hidden secrets.
    Thank you Drue. You can see so much without all the unnecessary details.

  3. Masayuki Koga 02.19.09 at 10:37 pm

    You always capture the core of any person as you see.
    I saw two gentlemen [Fenwick & West Founders] portraits in Palo Alto and now here the first Lady Sumie you captured!

  4. Kimberly Stinson Serrano 02.19.09 at 11:41 pm

    Drue,
    I find it interesting that Michelle Obama’s eyes seem to be the portion of her features that have been completely painted by you. There is no question about their importance. Her eyes show determination and a genuine alertness here.
    I like how you have chosen to portray her in a serious, almost reflective way. I am drawn to wonder what she is thinking in this moment. Her lack of action physically does not create a stagnant portrait. Instead, I am thinking about (and respecting) the internal, mental activity that you have chosen to highlight.
    Very beautiful…

  5. Kathlyn Llewellyn 02.20.09 at 2:14 pm

    I like that this is nearly a full-body portrait, not just head-and-shoulders — Michelle’s energy really comes through. And there’s something about the pearls …. K.

  6. Angus 02.26.09 at 5:15 pm

    This painting Portrait of Michelle Obama by Drue Kataoka would look good hanging in the “The Map Room” at The White House.

    Originally used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a situation room from which to follow the course of World War II, The Map Room now serves as a private meeting room for the President or the First Lady. It was decorated in 1970, and again in 1994, as a sitting room in the Chippendale style, and this thoughtful and elegant interpretation of the the First Lady would fit the purpose and decor of the room.

  7. Allison Hendrix 03.10.09 at 4:36 pm

    Drue, this is both a beautiful and inspiring portrait of our First Lady. Thank you for sharing it with us.

  8. Kurious 03.15.09 at 10:18 am

    Michelle’s life-story isn’t complete, but her eyes reveal what it will be. She has been to the mountain-top and she has seen her destiny. She knows that the risk and sacrifice will be great, but she has chosen to go forward. Thank you for this vision, Drue.

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