Portrait artist and political satirist Kaya Mar speaks to Rachael Davis about his career and the mixed responses he gets from his subjects.
"It makes people smile, and makes them think," is how artist and political satirist Kaya Mar, 65, describes his work.
Kaya, who's Turkish-born but has lived in London for 45 years, is an artist by trade and makes his living by selling commissioned portraits. He was encouraged by the late politician Tony Benn to 'try political painting' when he sat for a portrait in 2010, and his first real attempt at political caricature was a 2011 piece depicting then-Prime Minister David Cameron sitting on the toilet with Nick Clegg dressed as a court jester.
Since then, Kaya's work has covered dozens of British politicians from Jeremy Corbyn to Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg to Diane Abbott, as well as the likes of Angela Merkel, Donald Trump and Joe Biden - and even the Royal Family. He's built quite the reputation in the Westminster sphere, loved by some - such as Theresa May who wanted to buy one of his works - and loathed by others, like Iain Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who weren't so impressed with Kaya's unflattering portrayals of current affairs...Keep reading on MyLondon.
"It makes people smile, and makes them think," is how artist and political satirist Kaya Mar, 65, describes his work.
Kaya, who's Turkish-born but has lived in London for 45 years, is an artist by trade and makes his living by selling commissioned portraits. He was encouraged by the late politician Tony Benn to 'try political painting' when he sat for a portrait in 2010, and his first real attempt at political caricature was a 2011 piece depicting then-Prime Minister David Cameron sitting on the toilet with Nick Clegg dressed as a court jester.
Since then, Kaya's work has covered dozens of British politicians from Jeremy Corbyn to Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg to Diane Abbott, as well as the likes of Angela Merkel, Donald Trump and Joe Biden - and even the Royal Family. He's built quite the reputation in the Westminster sphere, loved by some - such as Theresa May who wanted to buy one of his works - and loathed by others, like Iain Duncan Smith and Jacob Rees-Mogg, who weren't so impressed with Kaya's unflattering portrayals of current affairs...Keep reading on MyLondon.