Ready for some incredibly strange celebrity portraits? Akira Beard‘s ripped-from-the-sketchbook watercolors are blurry but evocative images of beloved cultural icons, from The Dude of Big Lebowski fame to Sigmund Freud to Jesus. But what really complicates the works are the artist’s often-politicized words: “If Janis Joplin were alive today, she would use a cell phone, drink lattes, look youthful in a 20 second Gap commercial, be a leading spokesperson for the anti-drug/alcohol ad campaigns, have a MySpace page with a million friends, and make pop-melodic music that sells,” Beard writes under her portrait. His Mother Teresa clutches a dollar bill, surrounded by musings on money and altruism. Then there’s the hilarious Bono picture, which we won’t ruin for you. Click through to see some of our favorite Beard paintings, then visit his Flickr page to see more of his work.
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard
Image credit: Akira Beard