An unusual one for me, but I like a challenge! The Guardian asked me not to paint these portraits but create them from analogue textures — an element that runs heavily throughout all my work. This approach was taken in order to portray Trump, Modi & Assad in redacted text :

“Last Saturday was World Press Freedom Day. It’s a moment when many international news outlets, alongside organisations such as the United Nations and Reporters without Borders, highlight the many and growing dangers to journalists around the world.

The Guardian released three stories focusing on three countries that have seen heavy state clampdowns on the media; The US, India, and Ethiopia. They are three unique stories, but the theme is the same; the state intervening to silence criticism and free press.”