Julie Mehretu’s 83-foot-high x 25-foot-wide installation is inspired by President Obama’s remarks at the 50th anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery.

Julie Mehretu's art serves as a powerful bridge between past and present, personal history and public space in ways that captivate and inspire. Her art will soon be showcased at the Obama Presidential Center, where her work promises to leave an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.

Julie's journey from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to becoming a renowned abstract artist is a testament to the transformative power of art and the deep connection between personal history and creative expression. Born in 1970, Julie experienced the upheaval of the Mengistu revolution and the Red Terror, which led her family to move to the United States in 1977. 

Julie describes moving to the United States as a pivotal moment that marked a “loss of innocence” and deepened her self-awareness. This transformation ignited her passion for art.

“I vividly remember being especially proud of making paper ties as a child. My father often wore ties when he went out, and I loved them. So, I used to make these elaborate paper ties that I would pin on my shirt and walk through the streets, showing certain people my ties,” she reminisced. 

Julie's artistic journey was further shaped by visits to institutions like the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago. She says her love for art grew through supportive teachers, her parents, and her own exploration.

“Art was always the class that I liked to do outside of everything else. It was a place where I really could build other things, and I got lost in it all the time,” she said.

Julie's work is known for its abstract nature, utilizing architectural elements and blurred photography to create a “social ground” for her paintings. She says her abstract approach allows her to engage with broader human experiences beyond traditional representational art.

When offered the opportunity to contribute to the Obama Presidential Center, Julie says she felt both honored and overwhelmed. 

“My admiration for President Obama and his family's legacy played a big part, but it’s also personal for me. His presidency meant a lot to my family, especially my father and his generation, and it has also shaped my own generation and my children,” she expressed. “What I think is really unique is that it's not just a presidential library; it is a living, breathing institution of futurity. It embodies the potential to inspire future generations. Its focus on cultivating future leaders and encouraging innovative thinking is crucial, especially as many of the promises of past ideas and models are being questioned and challenged today.”

Working with glass for the first time, Julie created a monumental artwork that will be embedded in the exterior on the north side of the Museum Building at the Obama Presidential Center. Inspired by a quote from President Obama’s speech during the 50th anniversary of the Selma marches, the abstract installation created from the melding of those images with the images of The Total Liberation of Africa, a monumental stained glass work by Afwerk Tekele, in Addis at the African Union, The Land of the Lotus Eaters, by Robert S. Duncanson, and Confrontation on the Bridge by Jacob Lawrence, will juxtapose the past and present, intended to offer viewers a dialogue between the historical and the contemporary and reflecting themes of time, place, and historical transformation. The meticulously-crafted window will span approximately 83-feet-high by 25-feet-wide.

“The idea with this was to create a window that fits into the idea of thinking through layers, place, and histories,” she explained. “Reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge, I'm reminded of the powerful photograph from that day and the celebration it sparked in the news. Knowing that moment will be etched into the wall of this new monument on the South Side of Chicago, I'm struck by how the city's identity has been shaped by the Great Migration and the influx of diverse cultures. This monumental building and its park, with its view of both the painting's exterior and the historic landscape, symbolize the deep connection between Chicago's past and present. The city’s story is incomplete without acknowledging its history, which continues to shape its landscape and identity.” 

Julie hopes her installation will be both a reflection on historical context and an inspiration for future possibilities, embodying the spirit of the Obama Presidential Center as a space of growth and creativity.