A STUDENT is exhibiting her art in London after receiving a personal letter of congratulations from former US President Barack Obama.

Layla Andrews, 20, painted a portrait of Obama for fun. So what happen next took her completely by surprise.

Layla, who studies history at the University of Brighton, was staying with family friends in Washington DC on a backpacking trip to America in November 2015.

However, she didn’t know they worked at the president’s house in design and carpentry.

“I went to the White House to shadow them for five days,” she said. “I got to know all of the staff well and they were interested in my paintings.”

After Layla had returned from the holiday to her home in Petersfield she learned that Obama’s secretary had seen a picture of the portrait and shown it to the president.

In June 2016, Obama sent Layla a “really sweet letter”.

“I thought, ‘you’re the busiest man in the world and you took the time to do that’. I’m a big fan and he was so kind. He told me to carry on the way I was going.”

In the message Obama wrote: “Thank you again for thinking of me.

“I am inspired by the strength and resilience that comes across in stories like yours, and I wish you all the best with your future.”

Layla has also painted Donald Trump but she’s not planning to send that to the White House. “I don’t think it would go down very well.”

The South African Embassy bought Layla’s painting of Nelson Mandela that she created when she was 15.

She was invited to attend Mandela’s funeral.

On her exhibition, Layla said: “I emailed the gallery asking how they pick their artists, and they emailed back saying they’d been looking at my work online.

“It’s the biggest thing I’ve done so far.”

l Layla’s exhibition It’s All Gravy is at the Oxo Tower on Southbank from tomorrow until Monday. For more information visit her website: laylaandrews.com.