Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson to join artists in Extraordinary Portraits
In the show, fronted by comedian Bill Bailey, everyday heroes are immortalised in art.
Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson will be showcasing his artistic side as he features in the latest series of BBC Arts show Extraordinary Portraits this spring.
In the show, fronted by comedian Bill Bailey, everyday heroes are immortalised in art by a group of creatives, including two award-winning painters, a sculptor and a multi-media artist.
The BBC has said that Wilson, 48, will be swapping the stage for the art studio later this year as he joins Bailey’s group of artists in the upcoming season of Extraordinary Portraits.
Wilson said: “I was delighted to get the call from Bill and jumped at the chance to join the Extraordinary Portraits family. Art has always been close to my heart, and it’s now great to be putting my experience to the test.
“I’m also really pleased that we’re announcing the new series in Bradford. Growing up in West Yorkshire gave me a love of creativity, humour and community, and seeing the city buzzing with culture over the past year has made me prouder than ever.
“I can’t wait for people to see the incredible talent on display.”
Wilson has a master’s degree in graphic design and taught art at Leeds College of Art and Design before finding fame in the 2000s.
He is best known as the singer in rock band Kaiser Chiefs, who have had a string of hit singles including Ruby and I Predict A Riot and have won three Brit Awards across their two-decade career.
Speaking about the upcoming fifth season of the BBC Arts show, host Bailey, 61, said: “It’s wonderful to be back on the show and to see our crack team of artists pouring everything they have into the work, and the sitters putting their trust in them and really opening up.
“The results are extraordinarily powerful and incredibly moving and in this series I think we see what portraiture is really capable of.”
Members of the public who have led inspiring lives are paired with one of the teams’ artists to create a unique portrait.
The latest series of Extraordinary People will showcase sisters who made medical history after one gave birth from the other’s womb, a civil servant who stopped a terrorist attack using a narwhal tusk, and an 80-year-old grandmother who competes in Iron Man competitions.
Others who will sit for portraits include a victim of the Post Office scandal, who was imprisoned while she was pregnant, and young brothers with early-onset frontotemporal dementia, a condition which the NHS website describes as a syndrome associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning, including memory loss.
After a pop-up exhibition in the Loading Bay venue in Bradford last year to showcase the original works from the series, the BBC has said that the portraits from the forthcoming season will also go on public display.
Head of BBC Arts and Classical Music TV, Suzy Klein, said: “Uplifting and moving stories are the beating heart of Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey and this series yet again foregrounds the incredible tenacity, bravery and generosity which make our sitters everyday heroes.
“It’s wonderful that their achievements will also now be recognised through portraiture.
“For this series we are delighted to welcome Ricky Wilson as our very accomplished celebrity artist, and we yet again have the perfect host in Bill, who has assembled a family of artists from across the UK who connect perfectly with the people they’re painting and sculpting, while also providing creative support to one another.”
