WHOMST?! Sinners fans are dragging The New Yorker back to the drawing board for a questionable “caricature” of Wunmi Mosaku they say put the “ill” in illustration. Regular readers defended it as one of the publication’s signature sketches, but a Black woman artist named DeAnn Wiley showed up and showed out with a portrait perfectly fit for a queen!
The mesmerizing Ms. Mosaku and the rest of the Sinners team have endured more than enough disrespect after the BBC fumbled the N-word incident at the BAFTA Awards, and social media isn’t letting this unrecognizable rendering slide. The New Yorker features an enchanting story about the actress reconnecting with her family’s literal and ancestral Nigerian roots through her character Annie’s root work. Before joining this journey through herbal healing, history, and hoodoo, this shady sketch stopped many readers in their tracks as a “slap in the face.”
Who Is That? Social Media Sounds Off About Wunmi Mosaku Drawing
Between the interviews and red carpets, Wunmi Mosaku served some of the most stunning beauty and fashion moments this awards season. Let’s look at the material!
She’s a familiar face on the feeds all over social media, and we love to see it…until it came to this illustration by João Fazenda. At best, it didn’t come close to capturing her regal radiance. At worst, critics call the caricature “disrespectful,” “disappointing,” and blatantly “anti-Black.” Another Threads user replied, “Y’all have lost your mothaf**kin minds.”
Even the mildest comments had to admit that The New Yorker failed the assignment of at least locking in her likeness. Many mentioned that they would have had no idea who that even was without the headline and viral call-outs.
The resounding response is that the artist could’ve and definitely should’ve done better. You know who actually did justice to the British beauty? Another Black woman!
Check out another artist’s take on a Wunmi Mosaku drawing that has social media swooning after the flip!
Artist & Author DeAnn Wiley Shows The Internet How It’s Done With A Do-Over For Wunmi Mosaku
Unfortunately, this seems like yet another instance when if Black women want something done right, they have to do it themselves. To counter the claims that critics are just nitpicking The New Yorker’s typically quirky cartoons, a Black woman artist entered the chat to show us all how it’s done.
On X, formerly Twitter, DeAnne Wiley (aka @DeeLaSheeArt) entered the chat with her own gorgeous upgrade for the Wunmi Mosaku artwork. She noted that it was quickly executed like the original obviously was, but the Double Dutch Queen writer had two secret ingredients: Intention to “represent her well” and “a love of Black women.” IKTR!
“Apparently, The New Yorker ran a story with an illustration of Wunmi Mosaku that was obviously not intended to represent her well, so I redid it real quick in a similar style. Took 15 minutes & a love of Black women,” Wiley wrote on Sunday, March 8.
Some reactions questioned the drawing’s reference, which is based on the same day Mosaku appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show in an oversized suit with a sleek ponytail. Even then, comments claimed the orignal artist “could’ve done better.”
“No shade to the artist 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. Wunmi, we see you,” Wiley continued in follow-up posts.
If nothing else, WE got each other!
Thank you, DeAnn Wiley, for representing the way Wunmi Mosaku deserves!
What do you think about The New Yorker’s illustration and the do-over drawing?
