Portrait of Muhammad Ali, reporters' microphones reaching out to record his speech. Emblazoned across the top of the painting are the words "Selective Service," referring to Muhammad Ali's boycott of the Vietnam War Draft. On the back of the painting, Tommy Cheng quotes Ali as saying "Man, I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong."

Tommy Cheng is a contemporary outsider and folk artist who lives and paints in Washington Heights. His unique style of portraiture has attracted gallery shows in New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Paris. Cheng's portraits are inspired by pop culture and celebrities. With its wide open eyes, deceivingly expressive faces, and modernly flat construction a Cheng portrait is instantly identifiable.

Artist: Tommy Cheng

Material: Acrylic on plywood

TC-#84