King West bar Early Mercy accused of copying artwork

If you've been to Toronto bar and nightclub Early Mercy, you've probably noticed the hipster-fied portraits of historical figures, like Ghandi, Abraham Lincoln and J.F.K.

Early Mercy's designers PD Labs gives local artist Zimmo Lu artist credit for these quirky pieces. But if you've encountered them before, you'll know they look quite similar to Israeli illustrator Amit Shimoni's Hipstory series.

As the Toronto Star reports today, Shimoni's rep Yair Osheroff originally tried to work out a licensing deal with the King West hot spot. He's now gotten a local lawyer, as the Star writes, and might sue.

If you're into Shimoni's work, and want to adorn your walls with hip-looking world leaders, you can shop his collection locally at Nuvango.

Photo by Jesse Milns.

by Amy Grief via blogTO