The art of celebrity on show: The faceman cometh

Sebastian Krger, portraitist to the beautiful people of the US, is little known in this country. But not for much longer. Arifa Akbar reports

There is one contemporary artist whose work, despite its tendency to revel in those features his subjects might otherwise wish to hide, is celebrated and sought-after by the rich and famous worldwide.

Sitting for a warts-and-all portrait by Sebastian Krger, Germany's master caricaturist, is seen by celebrities from the West End to Hollywood as one of the highest proofs of their achievement, so much so that many creative greats from the past few decades have queued up to be immortalised in his startlingly bold creations.

From a balding Jack Nicholson to Louis Armstrong with bulging eyes and a wrinkle-scrawled Keith Richards, Krger's work is feted for staring into the souls of his famous subjects and producing paintings that, at times, verge on the grotesque.

He has captured Bono, super-slick in wrap-around shades, as well as an open-mouthed Mick Jagger with distended features and an over-sized microphone.

Now, for the first time, a collection of some of Krger's best work is being exhibited in London. Sixty paintings, spanning three decades, including portraits of Clint Eastwood, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, are going on display at Gallery 27 in Cork Street from today.

Krger first began his style of illustration in the 1980s after reading biographies of the Rolling Stones. When he exhibited his creations, some of the band members were bemused but Keith Richards was so moved that the two men became friends. Krger has since completed 70 portraits of the guitar legend, including one of him as a rock pirate with a parrot on his shoulder.

Krger, 44, was motivated to paint what he saw as the reality of stars. "I approach nearly all of my subjects with a level of respect and sincerity, contrasting the often extreme exaggeration of their features," he explains.

"The result is the creation of visually and psychologically explosive portraits. My goal is to reach inside them and pull out the essentials of their character."

His art has spread across the world and has now been embraced by some of the people he chose to "Krgerise". While his style is often referred to as caricature, Krger dislikes the term and prefers to be recognised as a "new pop realist".

The London show highlights his ability to capture the essence of those in the public eye, either through pencil drawings or near abstract paintings and photorealistic works.

Born in Hamelin, Germany, Krger began sketching at the age of four and was quickly recognised for his talented illustrations. At school, he was able to produce pictures of friends and teachers at a rapid rate before going on to study at the University of Fine Art in Braunschweig.

In spite of his training, he returned to illustrations. His manager, Bernd Schoenebaum, says: "He became interested in these people's lives and started to read a lot of biographies."

The works on display in London include portraits of Fidel Castro, Charlie Watts and Sylvester Stallone and range in price from 1,100 to more than 60,000. The exhibition runs until 22 December.