Paintings of a bright orange Donald Trump, by political cartoonist Henny Beaumont, appeared in transit shelter displays at Hackney bus stops overnight on Monday.
A resident of Stoke Newington, Beaumont produced the paintings ahead of the 2020 US presidential election, however the installation process remains a secret.
Beaumont said: “I don’t know how they got in to the bus stops, but they are put up by Stokey Adbusters who are anonymous.”
The paintings, depicting the potential end of Trump’s White House, are scattered across the borough.
She added: “We wanted to show East London’s resistance to the bigotry and hatred that Trump represents and to show support to the good people of the USA. I have everything crossed for Biden.”
Hackney residents have taken to the paintings and their message, sharing the caricatures online through Instagram and Twitter.
“They’re original paintings and they’ve been incredibly popular with local people. I’ve been told how much people like them, some people have even stolen them out of the bus stops. I’ve also been approached to sell them.”
Beaumont, a graphic novelist and political cartoonist, has regularly contributed to The Guardian, the BBC and the Society of Authors. She is also an Arts Council Award winner, a former artist in residence at the Stoke Newington literary festival and was long listed for the Women’s Poets Prize.
Currently, she is artist in residence for Poets for the Planet, an organisation of poets and creative activists concerned about the growing ecological crisis.
Beaumont created multiple topical cartoons during the first lockdown, including Boris Johnson’s handling of Covid-19 and the Windrush scandal, these were also displayed across Hackney.
Pic: Henny Beaumont/@hennybeaumontillustration
Beaumont also teaches graphic narrative memoir at the Centre for Better Health in Hackney, a charity that supports the wellbeing and recovery of Hackney residents whose lives have been impacted by mental health conditions.
The centre offers affordable counselling and arts courses and workshops, alongside online resources for coping during the pandemic.
Beaumont’s bus-stop Trump series comprises around 20 paintings with the originals available to purchase through her Instagram.
