South African artist Rasta The Artist has honored the late Dolly Parton with a portrait shared on X on Monday, 31 August 2026.
Parton died on 25 August 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee, after a short battle with cancer. She was hospitalized at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center on 21 August 2026, with the announcement of her death made by her nephew, Bryan Seaver. The celebrated artist and humanitarian was recognized globally for her substantial contributions to music and philanthropy throughout her career.
Rasta, known for creating celebrity portraits that often generate mixed reactions, captioned his post:
“Farewell to our Global icon and humanitarian Dolly Parton. Thank you for your great contribution to music and entertainment.”
You can view Rasta The Artist’s tribute portrait of Dolly Parton below:
Public Reaction to Rasta’s Dolly Parton Portrait
As is customary when Rasta unveils a new painting, the comments section quickly turned into a mix of critiques and surprising praise. Some users criticized the resemblance, while others observed potential signs of improvement in the artist’s work.
@XCarmineGalante remarked:
“Why did you draw Khanyi Mbau and name her Dolly Parton?”
@BrianMason57060 expressed a blunt view:
“This is disrespect 🤞🏾🤞🏾😔 I don’t care if he’s on drugs or whatever but these drawings are unacceptable.”
@NkosilathiMlal6 interpreted the painting differently:
“3rd frame looks like the drawings of the woman of bible times. No. That’s Mary Magdalene.”
@VINCENTMabula1 contributed his own observation:
“She looks more like Madonna.”
@Chuwe_Tavada3 acknowledged Rasta’s usual style:
“Frame 2 Rasta looks more like his drawings.”
However, some comments were supportive. @boyzinsuicide offered rare commendation:
“Dude actually has gotten better!”
@dubaizimbo expressed genuine admiration:
“You getting better with age ….. Second frame is world class.”
@LegalAssist5 added a humorous touch typical of Mzansi culture:
“You wise Rasta. Hard luck, you ain’t going nowhere this time.”
Source: Twitter
Rasta the Artist Addresses Past Controversy
The discourse surrounding Rasta The Artist’s tribute to Dolly Parton is likely to continue, as he has faced similar scrutiny in the past.
