Gene Wilder Honored With Willy Wonka Candy Portrait in SF

Yes, that is a handmade portrait of the late, great Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, lovingly crafted out of nothing but candy. Meet the Willy Wonka candy portrait that will forever preserve San Francisco’s special relationship with Gene Wilder, handcrafted by local artist Jason Mecier who has long delighted us with his celebrity portraits made of trash or various found objects. The portrait is now permanently on display at the Castro candy shop Giddy.

“It’s every kind of candy,” Mecier told BrokeAssStuart.com. “M&Ms, Jelly Belly, Mike and Ikes, Tic Tacs, gumballs, licorice, Skittles, Chiclets and more.”

The Gene Wilder portrait on display at Giddy

You will recall Mr. Mecier from his Snoop Dogg portrait crafted from marijuana buds and joints, his Kevin Bacon portrait made of bacon, his Big Bird portrait sculpted in breakfast cereal, and perhaps his most famous work, the 108-square-foot sculpture of the Farrah Fawcett swimsuit poster. But the Gene Wilder portrait deserves a certain bittersweet acknowledgment in the wake of Wilder’s passing.

“The candy store Giddy commissioned me to make it for the store,” Mecier said. The work has actually been on display at Giddy for a couple of months and was commissioned well before we all knew of Mr. Wilder’s condition.

Behold, in full, the Gene Wilder candy portrait.

So head on out to Giddy (2299 Market St., Ste. B, at Noe St.) to satisfy your sweet tooth and pay homage to Gene Wilder. You can also pay homage to Gene Wilder with a free Gene Wilder t-shirt courtesy the gang here at BrokeAssStuart.com!

Get your free Gene Wilder shirt. All you do is pay for shipping and handling. Mens’ shirts here (discount code: CHOCOLATE). Ladies’ shirts here (Discount code: WILDER).