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Katy Perry says 'wow' as she's handed 'firework' artwork backstage at Cardiff gig

Ebbw Vale native Nathan Wyburn shared his latest piece of art, inspired by Katy Perry's new single 'Watch it Burn'

[Nathan Wyburn's incredible tribute to Katy Perry]

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Nathan Wyburn's incredible tribute to Katy Perry(Image: Nathan Wyburn)

A Welsh artist had the opportunity to present pop superstar Katy Perry with a one-of-a-kind portrait ahead of her performance at Cardiff Castle.

Many people will already be familiar with Nathan Wyburn's distinctive style. The Cardiff-based artist is renowned for transforming everyday objects associated with celebrities into striking portraits. Indeed, one of his best known pieces is still on display at St David's Centre, depicting Oasis members Liam and Noel Gallagher in a tribute made from hundreds of bucket hats to celebrate the band's first concert in 15 years.

Nathan, originally from Ebbw Vale, has built an international reputation for his unconventional celebrity portraits, travelling across the world to present his artwork to stars including acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and Spider-Man actor Tom Holland. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.

Now he has another famous face to add to the list after meeting Katy Perry, the global pop icon behind chart-topping hits including California Gurls and Teenage Dream.

Inspired by her latest single, Watch It Burn, Nathan created an A40-sized portrait using 30 boxes of matches in three different sizes. Explaining his choice of materials, he told WalesOnline: "The matches just seemed like the perfect thing to use. I love relating the quirky materials I use within my art to the subject matter."

The intricate artwork took around five hours to complete. "It was a little tricky," Nathan admitted. "But it did help that she has such an instantly recognisable face and features."

[The art took five hours to create and thirty boxes of matches]

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The art took five hours to create and thirty boxes of matches(Image: Nathan Wyburn)

Meeting Katy was a dream come true for and artist that has followed her career "since the start."

"This was a huge honour," he said. "I'd arranged it with her long-time manager. She was super receptive and full of questions."

Their meeting was captured on camera. Nathan welcomed the singer to Wales, prompting Perry to laugh: "I love wet Wales!" She appeared visibly amazed when she saw the portrait, exclaiming: "Wow! How long did that take?"

Joking about the matchstick artwork, she added: "Where's a lighter? I need to light this up... it'd be like, 'Baby, you're a firework. This is super cool."

Katy also revealed she was already familiar with Nathan's work. "I saw your art on Instagram, and this isn't just your speciality you work in lots of different mediums," she said. "You must have been a really fun six-year-old to babysit because you're crafty."

Nathan laughed as he told the singer he was always making art as a child, recalling that one of the strangest materials he has ever worked with was cat food.

Reflecting on the meeting afterwards, he said: "I'd have loved to have seen her light it up, but obviously fire regulations wouldn't allow that to happen backstage."

He added that Katy was able to keep the portrait following the meeting, which was a "huge honour."

As for who is next on his celebrity wish list, Nathan has no shortage of ambitions. "Madonna would be the biggest," he said. "That would be an absolute dream.

"Also Harry Styles and Elton John would be a huge honour to meet. I've created several portraits of them over the years using things like lipstick, glitter, collage and feathers, so who knows? Maybe one day!"

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