A Mural of Michelle Obama as an Egyptian Queen Unveiled in Chicago- People Immediately Notice the Image is Stolen

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Former First Lady was painted by Chicago-based artist Chris Devins as an Egyptian queen. It’s on display on the city’s South Side. He raised $15,000 on GoFundMe to paint it across the street from Bouchet Elementary. Michelle Obama attended the school when it was known as Bryn Mawr School.

But as soon as it went up, people immediately recognized it from another source. It’s a copy of another artist’s work!

As Devins opined, “I wanted to present her as what I think she is, so she’s clothed as an Egyptian queen. I thought that was appropriate.”

But at no point did Devins tell people the image isn’t his:

Pictures of the mural were widely-shared across social media, and it eventually found its way to Gelila Mesfin, an Ethiopian art student in New York.

Mesfin, who shares artwork of her own on Instagram under the name ‘thick_east_african_girl,’ was shocked to see that the South Side painting was almost identical to a digital drawing of Obama she uploaded last November.

Her image was created by editing a picture taken by New York Times photographer Collier Schorr.

The 24-year-old student, who told the Washington Post she was initially flattered her work had seemingly inspired another artist, was quick to fire off a scathing attack on Devins.

‘How can you just steal someone’s artwork… someone’s hard work and claim it like it’s yours… how can you go on record and say you designed this… this is so disheartening and so disrespectful on so many levels,’ Mesfin wrote on Instagram.

The image of the mural went viral online, and that’s how Ethiopian-born artist Gelila Mesfin, the original artist, noticed it:

How can you just steal someone’s artwork… someone’s hard work and claim it like it’s yours… how can you go on record and say you designed this… this is so disheartening and so disrespectful on so many levels… like this man seriously created a gofundme page, raised money and did this… it’s one thing to share or even profit from someone’s work but to claim it as yours is just wrong! Thank you to those who DM and messaged me to let me know what was going on @dnainfochi you guys should take this article down because this man stole this. I wouldn’t mind if he had given me credit or said he took the design from another artist but saying you designed it is just wrong! The man is a teacher for God’s sake and said he was doing this to create positivity for his students and community… but he didn’t think that stealing a young girl’s artwork and making a profit out of it does more damage than good.

A post shared by G🐼 (@thick_east_african_girl) on

Once exposed, he explained his decision to copy the image: “I found her picture on Pinterest, and there was no link back anywhere. I wasn’t aware of her or her work until about two weeks ago.’

What do you think about this mural of Michelle Obama as an Egyptian Queen? Please leave us a comment (below) and tell us.

79 thoughts on “A Mural of Michelle Obama as an Egyptian Queen Unveiled in Chicago- People Immediately Notice the Image is Stolen”

  7. Bruce

    Moochie is a queen alright, “Michelle” was born Michael Lavaughn Robinson. Everyone can see his masculine features, his square jaw line, his “man” hands. Who does Obama and Moochie think they’re fooling?

  8. John

    The main problem with the painting is that it could not be of an Egyptian Queen.Now if you changed the title to an Egyptian Prince that would be correct.Remember,a Queen has to be FEMALE but the Prince which is proper is a MALE!!!!

  9. Henry

    Moochelle Obama is really not a beautiful woman. She’s sometimes attractive , but there are times when she pouts and that is very often she looks like our prehistoric ancestors the neanderthal man.She does not have feminine features, she looks very masculine. So putting her in an Egyptian headgear does nothing for her.

    1. Vangie

      Henry Michael is NOT a Women he’s a Man and to even have him as an Egyptian Queen, a Women no less is such a Lie on so many levels. I hope they take it down. The whole thing is nothing but a Lie and to have a Lie staring those Students in the face everyday much less the Public is DISGUSTING.

  11. Gregory

    Well she sure thought see was a queen with her lavish parties and trips at our expense. As for myself I thought of her as a snobbish lowlife with no class and fewer manners. She was a major embarrassment for our country, and her husband was worse.

  12. Richard

    A Egyptian Queen, a African American, a liberal black woman, etc, etc, etc.!! Anything but being an American citizen who happens to be black. This is the thought process of BO & MO, anti-American because it’s so evil, racist, some type of phobia, etc, etc. In most countries of this world they wouldn’t be much of anything; they would see real racism, barbarism, slavery, etc!! But they slip one over on the clueless, arrogant liberal supporters, especially in the black community which BO has never been a part of and certainly doesn’t plan on letting his daughters be part of, either. He’s a 1/2 white & 1/2 black man-child; racist on one side and bigot of the other!!

  17. Hudson

    As with anything else concerning the obamas, theft is not an issue. And the first lady stole the image from the New York Times in the first place, so where does she find room to complain?

  32. Mary Kaiserman

    That is typical of the obamas. they are such sorry human beings they can’t be satisfied with who God made them but must continue to pretend to be someone and something they aren’t. They think they are special but they are not. obama is a gay and michelle/michael is a transgender who can’t decide what they are so they keep pretending. obama is a radical muslim communist whose only goal is to overturn our government and Constitution and replace it with his communism and sharia law.

  36. Gregory

    The real question is whether Michelle Obama actually has lineage that includes ancestors who were Egyptian nobility, or is this a case of cultural approbation? Just because she’s from Africa doesn’t mean she has the right to claim she’s part of the most vibrant and advanced culture that existed there in the past, maybe her entire ancestry is among the Atlantic coast tribes that accomplished little more than endless Stone Age level tribal warfare. I mean, I was born in North America and have at least one native ancestor and the lefties would have an aneurysm if I started trying to dress and posture as an Indian. Oh. Wait. That’s because I’m too white. Yeah, I’m no whiter than Elizabeth “Fauxcahontas” Warren but since I’m not a progressive liberal anything I do is wrong. Nevermind.

  43. Daniel

    What I think is funny is that unless you were actually born in Africa and then came to America, only THEN can you claim to be African American.. The ONLY person I know who can make that claim is Charlize Theron who was born in South Africa. SHE IS an African American and she is whiter then a glacier on a snowbank. You pitiful little left wing losers that have been in this country for more then 100 years ARE NOT African American and never could be.

    And lets use your stupid logic that all of humanity started in Africa. Ok losers if that is the case then EVERY human out there is African. That means that EVERYONE is from African decent so there can be no racism because you are african nor can you claim anything to do with whites as they are also decended from Africans.

    Guess your head is exploding now because logic does not seem to be your strong suite

      1. BearhugsfromAK

        I believe you have a conflict in your logic already. My ancestors WERE Irish. I, however, am NOT Irish American. I AM AMERICAN. I do NOT know ANY Americans of Irish decent that refer to themselves as “Irish Americans”, they are simply AMERICAN. Come to think of it, the Irish were slaves in America long before blacks ever were. In fact, Irish CHILDREN were the most often kidnapped sold into slavery. Funny one never hears the Irish complaining about reparations or how badly they were treated. After they were set free, even though they were treated like the scum of the earth, they dug their heels in and became True Americans. The Irish not only assimilated, melted into the melting pot, but they soon began to thrive and become successful. President Trump would be a good example of this phenomenon.

        1. Susan

          Yes, you are right. I’m as white as snow; I’m an American of Irish decent. My ancestors came here as “indentured servants” a polite term for slave by the British. They worked and eventually “paid” their debt. They worked themselves to death but never got welfare, pity, help or thanks. I don’t look for repatriations, sympathy or special treatment. I’m just an American whose is proud of my country and glad to have had the opportunity to live here and contribute.

    3. Eldon

      Actually I met a really neat fella from Nigeria. Thick accent and all. Been here for years. Is very proud to be here, and refers to himself as An American Now. I was born there but here is where I am home.

      Just sayin’

  46. Gary

    Ha! The Blacks still think they were the ancient Egyptians? I heard this BS for a while years ago & it fizzled out from being so untrue & absurd. I guess they’re trying again to rewrite history, LOL!

      1. Ben

        Your shallow reply shows no forethought. Indians, Mexicans, Eskimos, and a dozen other completely different people’s lived on the American continent. Just maybe, different people lived in that little neck of the woods too?

        1. poppDavid

          Wow.
          You do know that the native Mexicans and the native Americans have the same genetic background, don’t you? The only difference is the political border where Trump wants American taxpayers to pay for a wall.

          3. BearhugsfromAK

            Ya aren’t the brightest crayon in the box, are ya?
            Spanish Conquistadors conquered Mexico, not so much ‘America’. America was conquered and settled by British, French, Irish, Scottish…. not to say they aren’t neighbors to Spain, and technically Columbus was not a Spaniard either, but the British wouldn’t back him….
            So, Mexicans can be Native (tribes already existing), Spanish, Mixtures of the two in the old days were referred to as Mestizos. Anyway… you really need to dig up some REAL history lessons.

        2. AmericanBelle1

          Studies have proven that Asian migration through the Bering Sea took place around 14,000 BP (years before present) following the glaciers route south to warmer areas. Once they crossed the Bering bridge they came through Alaska, and worked their way south on the coastline down into South America. That is the Asian Bering/Coastal migration. But then scientists have found that people from South America ventured into Polynesia and back again. DNA of Polynesians show Asian roots from South America. This theory emerged when similarities were found between the statues of Easter Island to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia.

          Bottom line, before Native Americans, Mexicans, Eskimoes and dozens of other peoples ALL originated in Asia and French Polynesia, i.e., we were Asian before we were native.

      2. AmericanBelle1

        I do know that Egypt is in Africa. Did you know that Cleopatra, who is the “model” for Michelle’s portrait wasn’t African. The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt lasted for about 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC. They were the last dynasty of Egypt. Ptolemy I Solter was a Macedonian Greek general under Alexander the Great, became ruler of Egypt, and founded the Ptolemy dynasty that lasted three centuries, turning Egypt into a Hellenistic kingdom and Alexandria into a center of Greek culture. Bottom line, not all Africans were African! And unless Michelle Obama has Greek roots, she has absolutely nothing in common with Cleopatra or any other Egyptian queen of the day. Note, too, that South Africa is mostly white, having roots and rule with British, and later, Dutch people. So unless “African Americans” have Greek, British, or Dutch heritage, their claim to blackness must come from the tribes of Africa which basically had no civilization until modern times.

      3. Oscar

        Chris,
        “You do know that Egypt is in Africa, right”?

        I don’t blame you for being ignorant, it’s not–all–your fault. Anyway, rather than laughing at you, let me try to give you a helping hand, since you do have a part of the truth, the unimportant part in this discussion. Yeah, you’re right, Egypt is to be found on the continent of Africa. That makes Egyptians Africans, geographically speaking; however, we’re not talking about geography here, we’re taking about race and culture, and Egypt and Egyptians are not racially or culturally African. Got it.

    2. Arthur

      The Egyptians were master builders. Check out the black neighborhoods. do they look like there were master builders there? Queen Michele never went to any. Oh queens don’t go there they could careless about the peasants. The Obamas never did anything for the blacks.

  51. Kimberley

    I don’t think it’s at all appropriate. Just because they acted like royalty doesn’t make them royalty and they should not be portrayed as such. I’d also like to address the question of why this former first lady should be publicly displayed to begin with, where are the previous 43 publicly displayed? Again, they are former first ladies, not God, which there would be no end to the firestorm that would cause. Think about it. Glad I don’t have to look at it.

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