The face of Liberty hangs by a thread

Shami Chakrabarti by Gillian Wearing, 2011 © National Portrait Gallery, London; commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery with the support of J.P. Morgan through the Fund for New Commissions.

Louise Jury17 April 2012

When civil rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti said her public persona was a mask, artist Gillian Wearing created a real one for her.

But while Ms Chakrabarti observed the public often interpreted her as “grim,” “worthy” and “strident,” Wearing’s version of the Chakrabarti mask is something of a joke.

The Liberty campaign group director is seen holding the wax mask - complete with glass eyes - hanging from a threat in a portrait going on show at the National Portrait Gallery tomorrow. [April 18]

Ms Chakrabarti, 42, first sat for the portrait in September 2010 when she was digitally scanned for the wax mask. The mask was then sculptured and coloured and the sitter returned to Wearing’s studio in April last year to be photographed with it.

The work is reminiscent of the work of photographer August Sander (1876-1964) whose work has influenced Wearing, 48. And the image is similar to a portrait Wearing has produced of herself as the French artist Claude Cahun which is currently on show in her Whitechapel Gallery retrospective.

The portrait was commissioned by the gallery’s trustees with support from JP Morgan. It can be seen until Sunday before returning again on June 27.

For more, visit www.npg.org.uk