All the US Presidents

Talented cartoonist Shreyas Navare has unveiled a timely exhibition of his water colour caricatures titled “Hail to the Chiefs!” featuring all the presidents of the United States  and which will travel across the country and culminate on the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the nation on July 4, 2026.

The presidential caricature exhibition made it debut earlier in March with caricatures of the first five presidents  — George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe — at ImpactHub, New York Metropolitan Area, in midtown Manhattan.

The exhibition set the stage for a broader journey that will see Navare sketching, painting and caricature all US presidents and inviting audiences across 50 states and Washington, DC, to engage, reflect, and celebrate America’s enduring spirit through the medium of an unifying blend of history, art, and humour.

Navare has previously worked for The Hindustan Times, one of India’s most widely read and respected English language daily, where he caught the attention of readers and media circles for his skilful caricatures and a sharp sense of observation. His style was well received for being revealing but stopping well short of being offensive or excessively dark. His cartoons brought a smile to the face as he put his point across in a genuinely humorous manner.

Through expressive and meticulously hand-painted artworks, Navare has brought to life the essence of the personalities of America’s early Commanders-in-Chief. “It gave me great joy to research the Presidents – from the blue coat of George Washington to the blue eyes of John Adams as I set about rendering these American visionaries through my brush,” Navare told Open. Navare was a fellow at the prestigious Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs in 2014-15 and used the study break to read, write and, of course, sketch caricatures. Navare holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, one of India’s highest ranked engineering school with a wide international recognition. He did his Bachelor of Engineering (I.T.) from VJTI, Mumbai University.

“The United States, much like my home country of India, has endured over a long period of time and continues to thrive on the strength of ongoing conversations within society, all in the eternal quest for a more perfect union. As the nation gets ready to celebrate its 250th anniversary next year, I’ve launched this series to foster conversations and reflections on our common humanity through the blended power of art, shared history, and humour,” said Navare

The inaugural exhibition’s closing reception on Tuesday, March 4, saw attendees enthusiastically exploring Navare’s artistic portrayals of the nation’s early leaders. To the delight of the audience, the cartoonist sketched a caricature of George Washington with a few deft lines. The event featured an address by guest of honour David Sweeney from the White House Historical Association, highlighting the role of the association, the White House’s origination and how that ties in with the Nation’s founding.

The closing reception saw a powerful rendition of the US National Anthem on the violin by Brooklyn-based composer Felix Herbst, whose expertise spans appearances on the Tonight Show, performances with the likes of Alicia Keys and the national Broadway tour of Fiddler on the Roof.

The event was emceed by Rowana Miller, executive director of Cosmic Writers, a non-profit that provides children with tools, knowledge, and opportunities to children. HarperCollins has previously published two books of his cartoons, with the foreword for the first written by the 11th President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.

Navare’s cartoons and caricatures have been exhibited internationally and some of his original artworks are part of the collection of the Library of Congress in Washington.

His focus as a cartoonist on American politics has spanned many a US President. His previous exhibition titled America in Cartoons: From Bill to Biden was hosted by the Indian Institute of Cartoonists at the Indian Cartoon Gallery in Bengaluru, India, in 2022. This “humorous history lesson”, as one of the press articles in the national media described the exhibition, featured 100 cartoons and caricatures drawn by Shreyas, spanning five US Presidents–Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

This 2022 exhibit, with his bipartisan take on American politics, which benefited from his on-the-ground coverage of American elections, helped give access to a nuanced understanding of American politics and history to Indian audiences. Hail To The Chiefs! now builds on this previous exhibition by celebrating the rich story of America through watercolor caricatures of all US Presidents.

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