Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK has prompted a surge in creatives finding fresh artistic ways to depict the US President, from making caricature masks to witty placards.
Amid the US President visiting the UK, a large demonstration took place in central London yesterday.
Among the protesters were a group who donned masks of some of the most influential figures in right-wing politics, including Donald Trump, JD Vance, Elon Musk, Nigel Farage, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu and Andrew Tate.
The creator of these big political masks and the organiser of the group is former circus schoolteacher and founder of Circomedia, Bim Mason, 72, who currently resides in West Wales.
Mason has been making masks for over 40 years, and was influenced to make this particular brand of big political masks after he was ‘incensed’ with the Brexit referendum in 2016.
On selecting Musk and Farage masks for the recent anti-trump rally he said: “Musk is trying to undermine British democracy and Farage is trying to do the Trump thing here and that’s a big danger.”
He said: “I’m outraged that Trump is coming here and being treated with lavish indulgence,” adding he was especially motivated to protest due to the US President’s stance on climate change issues.
The masks usually take him about a week to make, with three days required to shape the heads, and he uses photos from the internet as a guide. He casts them and uses latex to make the shape.
His first political big head was a replica of Boris Johnson’s head.
The other members of the group wearing the political masks included London, Bristol and Welsh based actors and creatives, across a range of ages.
On the durability of the masks, Mason said: “Some people might think they’re papier mâché, but they’re very durable, are waterproof and can take impact.”
Other creatives made use of placards full of witty jabs and explicit messages to artistically protest against the US President.
This included placards created by art collective Grow Up Art, which was established by father-son duo, Mark Blamire (who goes by Blam) and his son Jack Blamire.
Blam, a graphic designer whose work can be found on permanent display in the V&A museum’s 20th century collection, handed out a print called National Buffoon’s European Vacation on the day of the protest.
The print depicts Trump naked with a tattoo of Putin on his waist, alongside other suggestive symbols.
Founded in 2019, the collective began making political prints out of Shoreditch for a campaign called Vote out to help out during the UK general election last year.
After Trump won the 2024 US presidential election, a print by Grow Up Art called Muskolini went viral online.
The print depicts a black and white portrait of Musk, dressed up in the style of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
Blam told the Londoners the collective’s work had been shared globally online, including by Mark Hamill, known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise.
On his motivations for attending the rally and sharing his art, Blam said: “I’m just angry about fascism, and all the right wingers and I just want to speak up against right wing fascism.”
Featured Image: Protesters dressed up as right-wing political figures, at the anti-Trump rally in London. Credit: Ajay Smith
