Advertisement
Art

Joe Lycett draws portrait of 2020 exclusively for The Big Issue

Joe Lycett was a beloved comedian before 2020. But this year he’s revealed a whole new talent as a visual artist. He has drawn a portrait of the year especially for us

Comedian Joe Lycett has long dabbled in art, but taking part in Grayson Perry’s Art Club brought his inimitable style to the masses.

His portraits have a habit of capturing the crazy times in which we live and offering a bit of light relief in the face of a difficult year.

Support The Big Issue and our vendors by signing up for a subscription

As 2020 comes to a close, Lycett has used this newly uncovered talent to create a masterpiece exclusively for The Big Issue. It’s a portrait that sums up the year.

And he decided to focus on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

Here is the painting, in all its glory.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Lycett told us: “This painting is my artistic summary of 2020. I get it. It’s been tough for some of you.

“You’ve not stopped going on about it. You’ve whined on and on about how awful it’s been. Well I’m sick of it. Have any of you ungrateful little urchins considered the good things that have happened?

“Have any of you congratulated old Jeff? Jeff’s had a great one. Cheer up.”

Back in April, Lycett’s painting of health advisor Chris Whitty, painted for Grayson Perry and featuring the slogan ‘wash your filthy pig hands’, captured the public imagination.

“One thing I was really drawn to about Chris [Whitty] was his eyes,” Joe said when introducing the painting. “He’s got extraordinary eyes.”

Perry had praise for the picture, saying, “I think you’ve captured Chris Whitty pretty well.”

Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas

This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.

Recommended for you

Read All
Harry Hill, Opake, Real Hackney Dave and more design Christmas wrapping paper exclusively for Big Issue
Christmas Wrapping paper

Harry Hill, Opake, Real Hackney Dave and more design Christmas wrapping paper exclusively for Big Issue

'Love is the most powerful emotion there is': Artist Opake on homelessness, addiction and Christmas
Opake
Art

'Love is the most powerful emotion there is': Artist Opake on homelessness, addiction and Christmas

Fin DAC: 'As a creator of public murals, I aspire to leave spaces brighter than I found them'
Fin DAC
Fin DAC

Fin DAC: 'As a creator of public murals, I aspire to leave spaces brighter than I found them'

'It's art for people': This one-man kayak project shows the beauty of slowing down
Lying down flat in a kayak offers a rarely seen view of the UK’s waterways
Art

'It's art for people': This one-man kayak project shows the beauty of slowing down

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue