Bob Clarke, 2020
This is Bob Clarke, a lifelong family friend who has helped shape my idea of what a man should be. Loved, admired and respected by his community, this portrait seeks to capture the essence of Bob and pay homage to Ira Frederick Aldridge believed to be the subject of John Simpson’s 1827 painting, ‘Head of a Man’. Aldridge stood up for equality and made a name for himself in the shakespearean world of theatre. Bob is a powerful force for positive change in the current media landscape. Since 2007 Bob’s charity, MAMA Youth Project, has been training young people from underrepresented backgrounds in the media industry, giving them the skills needed to hit the ground running in a professional environment. Talking about why he began the charity, Bob said; “I don’t want to go to my grave hearing the same problems I heard when I was born into this world.”