George Bush as the Naked Emperor

Painting of President George W. Bush by Max Emadi as the Emperor in the Fable of "The Emperor's New Clothes"

Max Emadi's work "The Emperor's New Clothes" is just one painting in his Terrorists and Freedom Fighters series. This painting places President George W. Bush in the role of "leading man" in the fairy tale of the naked emperor ultimately exposed by a child. The President strides towards us from his desk in the Oval Office, grinning from ear to ear, looking for all the world like a Ken Barbie Doll. Despite his lack of clothes, it is easy to imagine President Bush in his jump-suit on the USS Abraham Lincoln on May 2, 2003 proclaiming "Mission Accomplished".

Max Emadi has other artworks featuring George W. Bush:

George Bush Sleeping Soundly and George W. Bush - Portrait After John Kennedy

Islamic Women as Pinup Girls

Makan Emadi's recent art always packs a punch or pokes a stick at some political figure or cultural standard. Max's "Islamic Calendar Girl" series is a provocative view of the image of Islamic women and traditional Islamic dress.

Other works of political art by Max, including a painting of President George W Bush nude, can be seen in his Terrorists and Freedom Fighters series.

Max Emadi's own commentary on the intent of his Islamic Erotica series can be read here.

About Max Emadi

Iranian-born California Artist Max Emadi

"Max" Makan Emadi emigrated with his family to Southern California from Iran in 1979 at the age of fourteen.

While attending high school he became interested in art courses and took ceramics for four years. Following high school, he studied sculpting with Betty Davenport Ford.

Max's career took him away from art for many years. He received training and worked as a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor and found his second passion in the helping field. He pursued his education by completing a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's degree in the same field.

After becoming established in his career as a psychotherapist he decided to revisit the artistic interests of his teenage-years. In the last few years, Max has participated in a number of group shows and been featured in several solo exhibitions. His paintings extend from abstract works to political art, and he also sculpts small ceramic busts.

Max Emadi has painted a wide range of works in oil including abstract paintings, portraits and self-portraits.

He has also painted extensive bodies of work representing political figures (Terrorists and Freedom-Fighters series) and cultural celebrities (Hero Worship series).

His most controversial series comments on "hijab", the Islamic dress code, with two series to date: Calendar Girls and Femme Fatale

Since 2002, Emadi has also produced small ceramic sculptures (Beautiful Monsters series)