They shot to fame in 2015 with a portrait of Vladimir Putin made of bullet shells from the killing fields of eastern Ukraine. Now, the two Ukrainian artists are back with a portrait of Donald Trump made from coins and poker chips.
Threats forced Daria Marchenko, 35, and Daniel Green, 34, to leave their homeland in November 2016. They now lead an itinerant life, travelling and exhibiting their work in the United States and Latin America.
The Trump portrait, finished one month ago, is made of nearly 4,000 one cent and five-cent pieces. Poker chips are used for the US president’s shoulders.
The artists are now searching for a place for a public unveiling.
As with their Face of War portrait of the Russian leader, the Trump version, called “Face of Money” plays in the light revealing different expressions.
They came up with the idea of the enormous portrait — nearly eight foot by five foot — last summer when Mr. Putin ordered the United States to reduce its diplomatic footprint in Russia by 755 employees.
Mr. Trump responded by thanking Mr. Putin, saying it would allow the United States to cut down its payroll and “save a lot of money.”
“I thought, ‘oh my God, you are so cheap, how can you be American president’?” says Mr. Green. “At that moment, I thought coins is the best way to show his portrait.”
The duo deliberately chose one cent and five-cent pieces, the smallest denominations of U.S. currency, to illustrate their point.
The poker chips are a nod to the casinos the billionaire once ran in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
