As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps through Europe and beyond, jobs are drying up as offices shutter. We’re working at home, often in isolation — something freelancers are already quite familiar with. But it’s not all bad: In crisis, as often happens, we’re finding community where we might not have looked previously. POLITICO reached out to dozens of artists around the globe and asked them to draw what they’re seeing and feeling.
MARIA KOFMAN
Coney Island, New York
Typically, Coney Island is a social and crowded area all times of the year, but it’s a ghost town now. Elderly people frequently exercise and hang out on the boardwalk, but thankfully everyone is staying home since that demographic is most susceptible. Self-isolating is more difficult than it seems! (Web/Instagram)
ALEKSANDRA STANGLEWICZ
Warsaw
This is me, drawing and looking for new commissions, sitting on the couch with my dog Frajda next to me — just wondering what’s going on in the world. I still can’t believe this is all happening. (Web/Instagram)
JACKIE FERRENTINO
Brooklyn, New York
Everything now has a sense of unreality. Disconnected from friends, family and the outside world, I feel like I’m nowhere even when I’m right here in my apartment, looking out my window. (Web/Instagram)
NICOLAS ARNAREZ
Pamplona, Spain
Everybody is locked down, but that’s created a sense of community. Neighbors chat on their balconies — from a safe distance. Before, that would have been unthinkable. We created a chat group for the block, so that if anybody needs anything, somebody can help. It’s bringing out the best in people. (Web/Instagram)
SIMONE NORONHA
Brooklyn, New York
Everything feels tense, urgent, scary. All I can do is stay home, keep up with the news, call friends and family. I’m doing fine, but how are you? (Web/Instagram)
ANN KIERNAN
Berlin
Berliners have been ready for social distancing and self-isolation for some time. Oppression is in their muscle memory, and survival and community is reawakening under the larger threat of the virus. Ordinarily this is a tremendously grumpy and guarded bunch, but suddenly there are smiles and chats in the streets between complete strangers — at a distance. The one place this all breaks down seems to be in the supermarket queue, where personal space is seen as an invitation for line-cutters. So a 2-meter space between you and the next person is a steep learning curve. I made this illustration to tell the story of “Hamsterkäufe” (hamster buying) and and the struggle of keeping distance in the queue for Berliners. And with a shortage of medical masks, true Berlin attire is proving to be a fair alternative. (Web/Instagram)
KYLE PRIOR
Yorkshire, England
I’ve been working from home since the beginning of the year, but these past few weeks feel very different. The things I’d normally do to socialize and get out of the house are suddenly off limits. There’s constant doubt: Am I doing the right thing? Everyone around me still has to work, too, despite some being more at risk due to health issues. My Google search history is very telling of these doubts and curiosities, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s spending their days in isolation trying to learn about everything related to this virus. (Web/Instagram)
RICARDO TOMÀS
Kalmar, Sweden
This thing is everywhere. This thing that came out of nowhere a few months ago. I have so many questions. I spend the days with one eye on my home country of Spain, and the difficult situation. It’s time to be responsible: Stay home, take extreme precautions if you must venture out, and pay attention to reliable news sources — don’t sow disinformation. But above all, I’m grateful to all the people working toward making our lives easier through this crisis. (Web/Instagram)
KLAAS VERPLANCKE
Brugge, Belgium
My work often has a high level of “impossibility” — only possible on paper. Now the surrealism in my imagination is as real as reality. It’s a strange feeling, because in normal circumstances the imagination is always one step ahead of reality. Now it seems as if I can’t keep up with that reality, let alone transcend it. (Web/Instagram)
ERIC DIOTTE
Tokyo, Japan
Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) is one of Japan’s most iconic and long standing spring traditions. As the trees begin to bloom, more and more of these gatherings are being cancelled; a celebration in isolation. (Web/Instagram)
JON STICH
Oakland, California
The Bay Area is great, but the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty is clear. This isn’t a scene I saw, but considering how haywire everything has gotten here, it’s not difficult to imagine a well-to-do fellow skirting past a tent encampment on one of those unicycle things, balancing evidence of his excess. (Web/Instagram)
CARLO GIAMBARRESI
Sardinia, Italy
Last week, the government issued a lockdown order here, so we’re now in complete isolation in a small village by the sea. Working from home and taking care of a 1-year-old baby is quite challenging but it actually feels normal for us. I really hope things will return to a sense of normalcy for everyone else soon. (Web/Instagram)
KYUNG CHYUN
New York, New York
I’m an immigrant woman, living and working in the States. I’m originally from South Korea and most of my family are in Seoul, one of the most affected cities outside of China. I’m in contact with my family, and they’re sending some harrowing stories: Standing in line for government-provided masks in frigid weather; local markets running out of rice, restocking, then quickly running out again. My 91-year-old grandfather — who is deeply in love with my grandmother — hasn’t seen her since January because her living facility has banned all visitors. Already separated by thousands of miles, the crisis is making the distance between my family and me feel immense. I’m more anxious about my family’s health than I am worried about my own, but I guess that’s normal. It’s accentuated by the pandemic. In this drawing, I wanted to show the distance — physical and emotional — between us. (Web/Instagram)
DAVID OWENS
Oswego, New York
I live in upstate New York. It’s a beautiful area and I had been looking forward to several in-person meetings with promising clients this spring. All of those meetings have now been canceled. In this scene I’m standing in an iconic part of downtown Syracuse with my portfolio in hand, but not a single person in sight. It’s not quite apocalyptic, it just reeks of the unknown, especially for those who depend on freelance work. (Web/Instagram)
JONATHAN TWINGLEY
Jersey City, New Jersey
All Boxed In: After nearly 20 years living in the same Manhattan apartment building, my wife and I recently relocated, across the Hudson River. We made the move partly for the extra space. But the current quarantine situation has me feeling like I’m right back where I started. (Web/Instagram)
LEONARDO SANTAMARIA
Alhambra, California
I live in a heavily Asian-American immigrant community, where most of the population in my neighborhood is of Chinese ethnicity. Coronavirus has been the zeitgeist here for months, all around me. But now, it’s made it onto our doorstep. (Web/Instagram)
SANDRA GRBIĆ
Serbia
I made this piece as a way to express the anxious state of mind that I find myself in these days, as the news keeps coming, and as we in Serbia slowly but surely shift from an apathetic attitude to one rather more serious about the coronavirus threat. Cooped up in my dorm room, I’m making every effort to keep things as clean as possible with what I have on hand. Panic-buying all around me has made it impossible to stock up on disinfectants. But germs are everywhere, and it only takes one slip-up: Coming from the unclean outside world, picking up a sandwich, touching your phone. But wait, did I clean the screen? Did I just catch the virus? I’m cleaning all the time, but the unease lingers. (Web/Instagram)
NAPAL NAPS
Viterbo, Italy
If we must be locked down, locked in, I’d prefer to do so with my fiancée. Sadly, she lives in Rome, and with travel restrictions as they are, seeing her in person is impossible at the moment. Rather than face arrest for “nonessential” travel, I’ll wait. Hopefully in April we can be together again. (Web/Instagram)
JEN RENNINGER
Tampa, Florida
There is so much anxiety centered around the uncertainty of the pandemic. With that in mind, our family decided to focus on the good things that are happening in the face of this chaos: helping neighbors prepare, especially our elderly friends who live alone. Neighbors helping neighbors — all stocking our shelves so we can all stay safe — has become our go-to way to stay sane. (Web/Instagram)
SARA GIRONI CARNEVALE
Naples, Italy
Hostage: I’ve never seen the city so quiet. Everything is locked down except for supermarkets and pharmacies. As a freelance illustrator, I usually work from home, so not much has really changed for me, though the other day I was reminded of the restrictions placed on everyone: I went outside for a run, and the police turned me right back around. (Web/Instagram)
AXEL RANGEL
Mexico City
These days are unlike any others: The growing paranoia is contagious. There’s fear all around me right now, but I’m trying to stay optimistic. That said, I do miss going to the cinema! (Web/Instagram)
LAURA BREILING
Berlin
Görlitzer Park is a popular meeting point near my apartment. In spring, the park is always crowded: friends gathered for a BBQ, drinking beer, people walking their dogs. What will it be like in a month or two, as the virus spreads further? Everything is closed now, but the number of infections continues to rise. (Web/Instagram)
BEPPE CONTI
Turin, Italy
Italy has been hit by an emotional storm. Within a few days, the virus went from a distant, abstract enemy, to something ominous approaching home, to a very real entity taking control of our daily lives. The arduous — though necessary — quarantine period forces us to break from our daily habits, which can be disorienting. But I think there’s a silver lining here: We can slow down, look deeper inside ourselves, pick up that book we never had time to finish, or take up a new hobby altogether. Call that friend we haven’t made time for recently. Demonize technology if you must, but it’s keeping us all connected right now. (Web/Instagram)
LENNART GABEL
Hamburg, Germany
Around 90 percent of my day is entertaining my kids (ages 1 and 3) while my wife is at work. When she’s home and the kids are asleep, I try to cram an entire day’s work into the few hours left. So dear coronavirus, if you’re reading this: How about a cease-fire? (Web/Instagram)
SONNY ROSS
Manchester, England
Being a self-employed illustrator obviously comes with risks built in. For me, self isolating is nothing new. But when the whole supply chain does the same, suddenly a very busy month becomes an empty one — and rent is still due. It feels like I’ve been fired eight times already this week. (Web/Instagram)
ANTHONY ZINONOS
Orange, California
We’re staying home and staying safe, trying to avoid the online panic and conspiracy theories. To be honest it’s not too different from our usual lives as introvert freelancers — only now we have the added worry of running out of toilet paper. (Web/Instagram)
RACHEL MERRILL
Queens, New York
I’m currently in Dallas, Texas, trying to get help for my alcoholic father. He’s 75 and that, of course, makes him the perfect target for the virus. We can’t actually see him because his detox facility is on lockdown. He’s pictured here with my sister in the emergency room. (Web/Instagram)
DANIEL ZALKUS
Chicago, Illinois
Last week was crazy; the news cycle seemed to go from 0 to 60 in the span of an hour. Yesterday I went to the grocery store and was surprised to see that many of the shelves are empty: produce and meat aisles are especially barren. Fortunately, I’d stocked up a week ago, but that was just dumb luck. (Web/Instagram)