Artist Amy Sherald gained national prominence seven years ago when she painted a grayscale portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

However, Mrs. Obama's portraitist recently made headlines for a more controversial reason after her plans for showing a transgender Statue of Liberty exhibit got crushed. 

Vice president expressed concern over painting

According to Fox News, the portrait is known as  "Trans Forming Liberty" and is a part of her "American Sublime" exhibit. It had been scheduled to go on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery in September.

However, it met with criticism from Vice President J.D. Vance, who was empowered by an executive order from President Donald Trump to oversee what is put on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

The order calls out materials which "degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy."

Fox News noted how this led Sherald to announce in a statement released on Thursday that she has opted to cancel the exhibition.

Artist opts to withdraw exhibit amid "climate of political hostility"

"These concerns led to discussions about removing the work from the exhibition," Sherald was quoted by The New York Times as saying.

"While no single person is to blame, it’s clear that institutional fear shaped by a broader climate of political hostility toward trans lives played a role," she declared.

"This painting exists to hold space for someone whose humanity has been politicized and disregarded. I cannot in good conscience comply with a culture of censorship, especially when it targets vulnerable communities," the artist insisted.

"At a time when transgender people are being legislated against, silenced and endangered across our nation, silence is not an option," Sherald continued.

"I stand by my work. I stand by my sitters. I stand by the truth that all people deserve to be seen — not only in life, but in art," she went on to add.

White House touts Vance's role

Meanwhile, a White House official sent an email to Fox News which explained that "Vice President Vance has been leading the effort to eliminate woke indoctrination from our beloved Smithsonian museums."

"On top of shepherding the One Big Beautiful Bill through the Senate and helping President Trump navigate international crises, the vice president has demonstrated his ability to get President Trump’s priorities across the finish line," the official asserted.

Trump special assistant Lindsey Halligan reiterated that message in a separate statement, saying, "The ‘Trans Forming Liberty’ painting, which sought to reinterpret one of our nation’s most sacred symbols through a divisive and ideological lens, fundamentally strayed from the mission and spirit of our national museums."