'I'll do better next time': Artist apologises for controversial New Yorker illustration

The New Yorker is renowned for its illustrations, both inside and outside the magazine. To design the cover is one of the more prestigious gigs in illustration, with artists from Art Spiegelman to Malika Favre offering up some of the best magazine covers ever over the years. But of course, the inside pages are filled with bespoke illustrations too.

Its one of the latter that has caused an uproar this week. The latest edition of the New Yorker features a detailed profile of Oscar-nominated actress Wunmi Mosaku, who is up for the Best Supporting Actress gong for her role in 'Sinners'. But the accompanying illustration by João Fazenda has drawn a prompt backlash due to its perceived lack of resemblance to Mosaku.

"She wears a loose blue jacket over a plain shirt," Newsone puts it. "The clothing is shapeless, and her posture is rigid. Her expression is muted. Her features are flattened almost to the point of anonymity." The publication goes on to argue that the image, in erasing her beauty rather than emphasising it, reads like a "visual version of the N-word."

Visual artist DeAnn Wiley took to Twitter (sorry, X) to share her own take on how the illustration might have looked instead. "No shade to the artist," Wiley announced in a now viral post (above), "but there has to be a level of care taken when illustrating Black women. I can acknowledge that it was likely a quick editorial illustration. However, there should be some consideration at how BW, especially darker skinned, fat Black women are illustrated."

In reply to an Instagram comment criticising the illustration, Fazenda said, "I worked on the illustration the way I always do, trying to do it to the best of my artistic capacities. I was given some photo references from the interview and used them for the drawing. I see it's a failed attempt and that has nothing to do with the person I'm drawing but with flaws in my work. I'II work hard to do better next time."