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Photorealistic painting was good enough for a driving license

Photorealistic painting was good enough for a driving license

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Photo realistic self-portrait
Photo realistic self-portrait

Taking a good photograph of yourself for a driving license or passport can be a daunting task due to the strict rules, yet Swedish artist Fredrik Saker had no trouble getting his remarkable painting approved. Upon renewing his driving license, the artist decided to try his hand at a photorealistic self-portrait, spending around 100 hours obsessing over the tiniest details to make sure the painting was a perfect match. After finally completing the work, Saker took a photograph of the painting and submitted it to the Swedish Transport Board.

Much to his surprise, the license was renewed without any problems, and the board doesn’t seem to have any issues with it even after the fact: "The picture we have received looks like any other photo, so we have had no reason to question it." Now that Saker’s work has been validated by the Swedish Transport Board, he plans to do it all over again with even more people. "I start shooting a couple of people in the next couple of weeks and we will soon be reapplying for licences."