FEMINIST

Here's a quick one I did for The Guardian. I love illustrating famous faces, especially when tied to a topic relevant in current media and pop culture. The provocative article by Roxane Gay expresses frustration that the idea of feminism is embraced more readily by the public when advocated by young, beautiful celebrities. In the article, she contends that the idea of equal rights for both genders shouldn't have to be endorsed by famous people to become a  "more palatable" idea to the public. I jumped at the chance to illustrate an article like this- that brings to light how celebrity and pop culture has such a massive influence on public perception and opinion. It's an interesting and relevant subject I like to explore in my illustrations.

For the illustration, AD Matt Sullivan had the idea of illustrating celebrities who have publicly endorsed feminism hiding behind the sign that Beyonce famously sang in front of in her 2014 VMA performance. The idea was that celebrities have so much clout in terms of swaying public opinion in the direction of Feminism, but the glamor of celebrity blinds people to what feminism actually means.

Read the article for yourself and see what you think: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/10/-sp-jennifer-lawrence-emma-watson-feminists-celebrity

Thanks again to US Opinion Editor and AD Matt Sullivan for the wonderful opportunity!