Cool currency portraits

Default avatar.
March 07, 2013
Cool currency portraits.

If world leaders were more like-minded, perhaps the elusive goal of world peace might be more attainable. But while international harmony remains a utopian dream for now, French photographer Philippe Petremant is doing his part to inch us closer. In his series 'The Magnificent Seven', the Lyon-based artist helps political figures past and present share — quite literally — a single head.

By creatively folding and paper-clipping together a slew of different banknotes, Petremant forms quirky portraits of leaders from across the globe. Portraits include Che Guevara dressed smartly in a suit and tie and Chairman Mao decked out in a cowboy hat and handlebar moustache. Queen Elizabeth II — the only female included — gets what is sure to be an unwelcome makeover when she dons former Singapore President Encik Yusof bin Ishak’s tiny chin and facial hair.

Obscure currencies turn certain pictures into a history lesson, especially in the case of Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau — a famous Naval officer and military leader in The War of the Pacific — whose mutton-chop sideburns are prominent in one portrait conglomerate. Less recognizable is the forehead of a young Gambian girl, whose picture adorns the country’s 5 Dalasi note. Perhaps the most jarring of the series is an image of Mahatma Gandhi’s eyes on the face of Saddam Hussein, merging the admired peace-lover with a notorious mass murderer.

Funny, poignant, and thought-provoking, Petremant’s series embodies more than what initially meets the eye. But then again, the same could be said of most of the world’s greatest leaders — and maybe that’s the point.

Can you identify all of the portraits in this mashup? Who else deserves to be immortalised on a banknote? Let us know in the comments.

Stacey Kole

Stacey Kole is a freelance writer and former magazine editor. When she’s not crafting copy or chasing after her two little boys, Stacey can be found drinking coffee, tea, or anything else with caffeine. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.

Read Next

15 Best New Fonts, July 2024

Welcome to our monthly roundup of the best fonts we’ve found online in the last four weeks. This month, there are fewer…

20 Best New Websites, July 2024

Welcome to July’s round up of websites to inspire you. This month’s collection ranges from the most stripped-back…

Top 7 WordPress Plugins for 2024: Enhance Your Site's Performance

WordPress is a hands-down favorite of website designers and developers. Renowned for its flexibility and ease of use,…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, July 2024

Welcome to this July’s collection of tools, gathered from around the web over the past month. We hope you’ll find…

3 Essential Design Trends, July 2024

Add some summer sizzle to your design projects with trendy website elements. Learn what's trending and how to use these…

15 Best New Fonts, June 2024

Welcome to our roundup of the best new fonts we’ve found online in the last month. This month, there are notably fewer…

20 Best New Websites, June 2024

Arranging content in an easily accessible way is the backbone of any user-friendly website. A good website will present…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, June 2024

In this month’s roundup of the best tools for web designers and developers, we’ll explore a range of new and noteworthy…

3 Essential Design Trends, June 2024

Summer is off to a fun start with some highly dramatic website design trends showing up in projects. Let's dive in!

15 Best New Fonts, May 2024

In this month’s edition, there are lots of historically-inspired typefaces, more of the growing trend for French…

How to Reduce The Carbon Footprint of Your Website

On average, a web page produces 4.61 grams of CO2 for every page view; for whole sites, that amounts to hundreds of KG…

20 Best New Websites, May 2024

Welcome to May’s compilation of the best sites on the web. This month we’re focused on color for younger humans,…