We the People, 2026
Several hundred portraits woven into a single American flag, painted for the nation’s 250th anniversary. Signed and numbered by the artist.
A living record in paint
We the People was conceived in 2003 as a visual archive: more than four hundred individually researched portraits woven into a single American flag. Each stripe holds a distinct era of the nation’s history. Each face is placed deliberately, informed by portrait reference and the period in which that person shaped the country.
Painted for America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 painting carries that archive forward through the last quarter-century, preserving the structure of the original while extending its timeline to the present. Portraits are organized by period, so the composition stays historical, not political.
More than four hundred portraits woven into the stripes and stars of one flag: a visual record of the nation, organized by era.
A mounted procession led by Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin advances before the Texas State Capitol, spanning the Republic era to the present.
The confrontation at Gonzales over a small cannon loaned to settlers, and the first shot of the Texas Revolution.
President Trump in the Oval Office, framed by ghosted portraits of the leaders who shaped the office. Carried into the White House by Rick Perry.
“It’s great art.”
Barbara Bush, former First Lady of the United States
At the signing of the edition placed in the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library.
40 × 50 in (101.6 × 127.0 cm)
George H. W. Bush Presidential Library; NYPD Museum; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
American history, painted from research and from life, for fifty years.
The artist
Kenneth R. Turner is a Texas painter whose work spans American history, faith, and the Western tradition. For more than five decades he has produced large-scale narrative oil paintings for collectors and institutions, with works displayed in the White House, the Texas State Capitol, presidential libraries, major churches, and prominent private collections.
His process is defined by research: historical documents, architectural reference, period photography, and theological study where the subject calls for it, so that each painting is accurate to its subject.
Collections & recognition
The White House · George H. W. Bush Presidential Library · Texas State Capitol Visitors Center · NYPD Museum · Port Authority of New York and New Jersey · University of Houston, Conrad N. Hilton College
Commissions
Every painting begins with a conversation about what it is for.
Voices
“Kenneth Turner’s work reflects a deep respect for history and a level of craftsmanship that is increasingly rare.”
“All who visit the Capitol will appreciate being able to view this historic battle as interpreted by Mr. Turner.”