This breathtaking neo-expressionist portrait on canvas stands as a definitive visual statement within the celebrated series I will make you a star by creative duo Hunter & Gatti (2010–2023). Deeply inspired by the raw, energetic vocabulary of Jean-Michel Basquiat's neo-expressionist paintings, the artists construct a unique artistic hybrid that challenges the modern definitions of global celebrity culture. The composition offers a monumental, high-contrast black and white archival pigment print on canvas of the legendary Formula 1 champion, framing his piercing gaze, chain necklaces, and patterned arm tattoos. By navigating the tight border between hiding and amplifying a commercial superstar's identity, the artwork delivers a fascinating conceptual contradiction that defines the collection.
The artistic duo was inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat's neo-expressionist paintings. Their idea was to create a series of original hybrids that explore the limits of popular culture. We may recognize the identity of the celebrities that are hidden behind the layers of paint, but at the same time we are left perplexed by the new faces that have emerged and this contradiction is the essence of "I will make you a star”.
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Neo-expressionist Portrait on Canvas - Lewis Hamilton, 2017. By Cristian Hunter
Lewis Hamilton Portrait Original, 2017
From The series, I will make you a star
Archival pigment print on canvas.
Dimensions: 74 H x 52 W in.
Signed by the artists
Mounted on a stretcher
This artwork was created by the artistic duo Hunter & Gatti (2010–2023). These works are part of the archive managed and exhibited by Cristian Hunter.
Cristian Hunter’s work starts from that belief. His photographs —created over a solid international career— are not mere documents, but open territories where painting, texture, and gesture expand photography into new dimensions of meaning. Hunter explores how an image can shift in meaning over time—how context, memory, and manual intervention can transform what was once captured into something newly revealed. Each piece is an invitation to look again, to uncover what lies beneath the visible. Guided by the premise that “nothing stays still,” he works from his personal archive, reinterpreting it, giving new life to what was once lived, and breaking the linear flow between past and present. His lens has captured renowned figures such as Pharrell Williams, Penélope Cruz, Jennifer Lopez, Ewan McGregor, Lalisa Manoban, Adria Arjona, and Bruno Mars, among many others. Yet his focus goes beyond portraiture—what truly interests him is what remains when the image stops being literal and begins to emerge as a living object. His current body of work includes both new pieces and selected artworks from the artistic legacy of Hunter & Gatti, which he now manages. These are duly credited as “ created by Hunter & Gatti,” presented alongside his personal practice and establishing a dialogue between history, transformation, and contemporary gaze. His work has been exhibited in cities such as Barcelona, New York, and Miami, and reflects a visual practice grounded in experience, exploration, and ongoing evolution.
