Kathryn Hahn, Cate Blanchett, Jake Gyllenhaal and More

Television is not there just to divert and entertain, but also to inspire. Consider these works by a baker’s dozen of primarily California-based visual artists working in paint, fabric and even marble to capture some of the small screen’s biggest stars.

Curated by Sayuri Tanabe

Cate Blanchett by Delbar Shahbaz

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Los Angeles-based artist-educator Delbar Shahbaz based this piece, Because I’m the Mother, on a pivotal moment in Disclaimer when Cate Blanchett’s character is confronted by her husband about her many lies. Shahbaz captures Blanchett’s inner turmoil with thick, expressive brushstrokes. “This work is a portrait of feminine strength and moral complexity—a tribute to all mothers who silently carry the weight of love, fear, and protection,” Shahbaz says. The idea resonates with the Iranian native, who has had to search for a new home and studio since losing everything in the Altadena fires earlier this year.

Kate Hudson by Emily Davis Adams

Emily Davis Adams was drawn to the Netflix comedy series Running Point because of the show’s star, Kate Hudson, and co-creator Mindy Kaling. “Both are in their mid-40s and thriving professionally while navigating the demands of motherhood,” says Adams, a San Francisco native now living in the East Bay area. “That’s a combination I admire and am striving for myself.” The show explores one woman’s efforts to break gender stereotypes as the owner of a pro basketball team, carving a path without an abundance of role models. Adams, who doesn’t own a TV and watches shows on a 13-inch laptop, decided to paint at scale, highlighting her relationship with technology while offering a personal touch (that’s a drawing by one of the artist’s’ two young daughters in the background).

Eddie Redmayne by Ji Oh

SBorn in Korea and based in L.A., mixed-media artist Ji Oh exhibits work both nationally and internationally. In this piece, she explores the parallels
between her meticulous artistic process, the precision of actor Eddie Redmayne’s performance in The Day of the Jackal and the calculated nature of the actor’s assassin character. To capture this duality, Ji Oh hand-wove two color renderings of the character’s face, skillfully blending digital manipulation with traditional techniques on a wooden panel. The result blurs the line between actor and character, truth and illusion. A pinwheel, an innocent-looking yet deadly tool of Redmayne’s assassin characcter, appears like a flower in his hair, adding irony and intrigue.

RuPaul by Emiliana Henriquez

Emiliana Henriquez is a passionate admirer of RuPaul, drawn to the drag icon’s fierce spirit, willingness to take risks and undeniable talent. Inspired by RuPaul’s complex persona, she created a diptych to explore the duality between the star’s public image and private self. “All artists need to create a persona, because not everyone deserves to know who you really are,” Henriquez says. In a bold homage to Lisa Yuskavage’s iconic The Fuck You Painting, she includes a defiant middle finger in her own piece. “No post or painting should be censored,” she says. “Just like RuPaul, we’re trying to be sassy and confident—especially in order to stand out in the art world.” Born in El Salvador and raised in Los Angeles, Henriquez plans to embrace a nomadic lifestyle over the next year, aspiring to become a true citizen of the world and inspire other Latin indigenous artists.

Helen Mirren by Emily Ferguson

IEmily Ferguson, a Gen Z artist known for her evocative portraits of people her age, challenged herself by depicting the legendary Helen Mirren in close-up as the matriarch of a Montana ranch family in Taylor Sheridan’s drama series 1923. “When I get to Mirren’s age, I hope to age like her,” Ferguson says. Her process typically begins with colored pencil or graphite, sometimes remaining in that medium or evolving into oil paint as the piece develops.

Originally from San Rafael, California, Ferguson moved to Los Angeles in her late teens to pursue her art career. Despite landing her first solo show at a young age, she quickly realized the challenges of establishing herself in the competitive L.A. art scene. Like many artists, Ferguson initially juggled side jobs to pay the bills before she could focus solely on her art. “The struggle is real,” she says, “and if I have to get another job to continue my practice, I’m not afraid to do so.”

Keri Russell by Ali Dipp

Ali Dipp is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar whose work explores American identity, transnationalism and underlying labor dynamics. Raised in El Paso, Texas, and shaped by her Lebanese and Mexican heritage, Dipp often works with denim and thread, using a manual sewing machine to create intricate representations of historical images, paintings and texts. Dipp, who is pursuing a doctorate
in modern thought and literature at Stanford University, was particularly drawn to Keri Russell’s title character in The Diplomat, a symbol of the complex communications required in global economic negotiations. She’s interested in how diplomacy and ambition can be depicted (on the TV screen or on gallery walls).

Colin Farrell by Nehemiah Cisneros

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nehemiah Cisneros developed a deep appreciation for the art of comics at an early age. Cisneros naturally gravitated to Colin Farrell’s performance as the title character in HBO Max’s The Penguin.  “Art is fiction, just like a TV show,” Cisneros says, noting that both filmed work and visual art thrive on spontaneity and improvisation. Cisneros, a 2024 MFA graduate of UCLA who likes to weave layers of symbolism into his work, gave Batwoman lobster hands—a nod to Farrell’s 2015 film The Lobster. Cisneros has already earned a place in some prominent collections with an artistic style heavily influenced by 19th-century illustration, especially the etchings of William Hogarth. Reflecting Batman’s nocturnal nature, Cisneros chose to portray Farrell as the moon, the central light source throughout the limited series.

Michelle Williams by David Gilmore

Much like Michelle Williams’ character in Dying for Sex, we are all, in our own way, embarking on personal adventures to search for ourselves. The key difference is that Williams’ character is acutely aware that her time is limited by a terminal cancer diagnosis—prompting her to fully embrace passion and sexual expression. Los Angeles–based artist David Gilmore explores this emotional urgency by portraying Williams in a series of evocative scenes that range from satisfaction and pleasure to nostalgia, each centered around her phone—a symbol of her pursuit of connection. Gilmore chose pillowcases as his canvas, referencing the recurring setting of Williams’ character in bed, whether during moments of physical intimacy or in the hospital. Originally from Cincinnati, Gilmore is known for his distinctive work in illustration, body painting and murals—and has painted the bodies of notable figures such as Heidi Klum, Eiza González and Mariah Carey.

Sterling K. Brown by Jasaya Neale

Jasaya Neale opted for a casual, candid portrait of Sterling K. Brown in the Hulu drama series Paradise rather than a more formal look at his character in his Secret Service uniform. As a result, Neale used loose outlines and expressive brushwork while still capturing a cinematic quality. “Depicting Sterling K. Brown was no coincidence—he’s from the same state as me,” Neale explains. Both artists hail from Missouri and share an affinity for jazz culture. Neale, an L.A.-based artist and model, was born and raised in Kansas City and has Afro-Caribbean Trinidadian roots. His artwork often merges with his modeling; he has collaborated with brands such as Jacquemus, Levi’s, H&M and Drake’s Diary.

Jake Gyllenhaal by Erick Medel

While Erick Medel usually depicts working-class immigrants in his work, here the L.A.-based artist captured Jake Gyllenhaal as a well-heeled lawyer defending himself on murder charges in the Apple TV+ limited series Presumed Innocent. Medel created the work entirely on denim, a fabric closely associated with laborers and rarely seen in courtroom settings. This choice was intentional, underscoring the tension between identity and environment. Born in Puebla, Mexico, Medel immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 13. His work can be seen at Charlie James Gallery in L.A.

Diego Luna by Esteban Fuentes de María

Esteban Fuentes de María, who grew up admiring Diego Luna’s on-screen performances in his native Mexico, cites the actor’s work in the 2002 film Frida as a personal favorite. Fuentes de María is a multidisciplinary artist known for experimenting with various textures; he has worked with marble for seven years. To capture Luna’s title role in the Star Wars series Andor, he worked with a type of marble that originates in the Mediterranean but is also found in Zacatecas, Mexico—a meaningful duality since he divides his time between Puebla and Paris. In partnership with the historic Uriarte Talavera ceramic factory, Fuentes de María created a series of pieces exhibited at Mexico’s Museo Internacional del Barroco and Museo de Arte Virreinal in 2021. The highlight was a two-meter-tall ceramic vase, now part of the prestigious Bahadir Collection in Istanbul.

Kathryn Hahn by Jenifer K. Wofford

Veteran actress Kathryn Hahn has earned plaudits for her performances in this past season’s critical darlings Agatha All Along and The Studio, but
San Francisco-based artist Jenifer K. Wofford’s esteem goes back even further. “Kathryn Hahn is a remarkable actress who seamlessly transitions between comedy and drama,” Wofford says. “While she is now acclaimed for more recent work, I will always love her most for 2008’s Step Brothers, and the many unhinged inner worlds she embodies in her first brief scene with John C Reilly.” Wofford, who’s known for her multidisciplinary practice exploring hybridity, history and her Filipino-American identity, has exhibited her work at SFMOMA, the Asian Art Museum, Berkeley Art Museum, Oakland Museum of California, Silverlens Galleries (Manila) and Osage Gallery (Hong Kong).

Renée Zellweger by Tidawhitney Lek

Veteran actress Kathryn Hahn has earned plaudits for her performances in this past season’s critical darlings Agatha All Along and The Studio, but
San Francisco-based artist Jenifer K. Wofford’s esteem goes back even further. “Kathryn Hahn is a remarkable actress who seamlessly transitions between comedy and drama,” Wofford says. “While she is now acclaimed for more recent work, I will always love her most for 2008’s Step Brothers, and the many unhinged inner worlds she embodies in her first brief scene with John C Reilly.” Wofford, who’s known for her multidisciplinary practice exploring hybridity, history and her Filipino-American identity, has exhibited her work at SFMOMA, the Asian Art Museum, Berkeley Art Museum, Oakland Museum of California, Silverlens Galleries (Manila) and Osage Gallery (Hong Kong).

Sayuri Tanabe

Growing up surrounded by the artistic legacies of
Japan, Mexico and U.S. inspired Sayuri Tanabe
to pursue a career as an art advisor, curator
and appraiser. She profiled the creatives featured
in “Artists by Artists.””

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