Looking for something?

Tap outside or press close

WorkIllustration

Rebecca Hendin's powerful illustrations across politics and more for the BBC

From Jeremy Corbyn to the KLF, illustrator Rebecca Hendin has a knack of crafting not just sharp portraiture, but a particular mood and subtle commentary in her image-making.

Written By:
Two figures with red television heads for heads display "OBSESSED WITH..." text on their screens against a bright green background with radio wave graphics

Working across illustration, animation, cartoons, art and design, Hendin has been based in London for about a decade, having moved from her native US. She regularly works as an in-house illustrator and animator at BBC Ideas, “and can often be found lurking about Broadcasting House,” as she puts it.

Until 2018 Hendin worked full-time as an in-house editorial illustrator and designer at BuzzFeed, and previously wrote and cartooned a weekly political editorial for American left-wing website Daily Kos alongside freelance projects. Her US political cartoons are syndicated by Universal Uclick, and her cartoon work is part of the Newseum's collection in Washington, D.C.

While her work with the BBC is less explicitly politics-focused than that created at Buzzfeed, the central premise is the same: that deft communication of personality and story in a single image. It’s not an easy job: not only are you often communicating complex issues through imagery alone; the timelines on such pieces are often very tight—at Buzzfeed, sometimes as little as a few hours.

A powerful recent piece Hendin created for the BBC, is the following video short narrated by a young woman telling her experience of domestic abuse at the hand of her partner as a teenager, for BBC Newsbeat.

Illustration of a woman with shoulder-length dark hair wearing a purple cardigan, set against a vibrant blue background filled with Asian-inspired imagery including pagodas, flowers and birds
Illustrated figure in red hooded garment with hands on shoulders, surrounded by watchful red eyes and a dark house, symbolising surveillance and control in domestic abuse
Silhouette of a man embracing a woman from behind in a cemetery with bare trees and ornate gates, rendered in shades of teal and black
Rebecca Hendin's illustration showing a map of Russia and China with a missile and red flag, representing geopolitical tension between the countries
Illustration of a person in a blue striped jumper and navy beanie with a mask, reaching toward jars of Marmite on kitchen shelves during winter
A young woman with magenta hair wearing a navy dress holds a green plant, silhouetted against a large moon with dark trees and shadowy figures looming above her
Illustration of a man in a dark suit carrying a yellow briefcase, standing on the Chinese flag against a dark background
Illustration of two men in black clothing against a vibrant purple night sky with floating books and a crescent moon, above red flames and the title How To Burn A Million Quid
Person using laptop connected by cables to five suited figures seated above against a red background, symbolising control and influence
Illustration of a bearded man's head as a phrenology bust labelled Gorbynology, with his brain divided into sections labelled with political causes including Palestinian Liberation, Stop the War and CND
Bearded man in dark suit and teal shirt wearing dark sunglasses, with red roses emerging from his open hand against a geometric teal and red background
Four figures in silhouette holding glowing smartphones and blank protest signs against a collage of political campaign posters in red, blue and cream tones
Illustration of a person wearing a red shirt and orange halo surrounded by hearts and objects including palm trees, guns, hammers, boxing gloves and playing cards on a pink and yellow background
Illustration by Rebecca Hendin showing a woman in a white blouse at a typewriter against a moody teal background with bare trees, titled "Shedunnit
Illustration of a man with blonde hair and a blue tie against a red background with horizontal lines, by Rebecca Hendin
Book cover for Conversations with Dad by Jacqueline Robinson, featuring an illustration of a woman on the phone with a circular clock symbol above her head, surrounded by blue and green flowers on a dark background
Stylised illustration of two political figures facing each other over a chess board with flaming pieces on a deep red background
Silhouetted figure holding a cream-coloured card with a blue cross symbol against a vibrant red background, surrounded by political posters and imagery on a blue wall
Vibrant illustration of a stylised cityscape with colourful buildings beneath a rainbow, featuring street lamps and silhouetted figures in the foreground
Illustration of a young person in a red shirt with an anxious expression, surrounded by orange and red symbols depicting stress and mental chaos emanating from their head
Turquoise bull with red horns and orange eyes wearing a red jacket, standing on a brown platform against a dark green background with yellow flames below
Share

Further Reading