Kehinde Wiley is a painter based in New York City. He is inspired by traditional Renaissance paintings and echos them in his work by painting people from his every day life posing in a traditional Renaissance style. Wiley uses symbolism in his work to describe the person in the portrait. This is most evident in his portrait of President Barak Obama that has a variety of flowers in the background that each mean something different.

At the begginning of the assignment, students are asked to come up with a list of things they like or things they like to do. 5th graders then illustrate these subjects in a collaged background similar to Wiley's style. Once students have completed their background they must consider how they will portray themselves in their portrait. What does their body language say about themselves? Students are asked "how would you want to be remembered?"; and show that through how they are posed in their pictures.