The Poker Chips on Donald Trump’s Shoulder

It wouldn’t be the first time President Trump has been accused of having a chip on his shoulder, but a recent work of art has used dozens of poker chips to depict the POTUS, with almost 4000 coins making up the rest of the huge portrait.

The Ukrainian artists behind the project, 35-year old Daria Marchenko and 34-year old Daniel Green shot to fame when they depicted Russian President Vladimir Putin using bullet shells from the eastern Ukrainian war-zone back in 2015, the ‘Face of War’ artwork receiving a backlash which included death threats and a kidnap attempt against Marchenko.

Their Trump portrait, titled ‘Face of Money’, looks set to become a similarly controversial talking point, the idea originating after a diplomatic spat between the two countries’ leaders – Putin ordering Trump to reduce his diplomatic presence in Russia by over 700 employees, Trump retorting by saying:

“Thanks – it will save a lot of money."

Artist Green explained:

"I thought, 'oh my God, you are so cheap, how can you be American president'? At that moment, I thought coins is the best way to show his portrait," the pair deliberately using the smallest US currency, one cent and five-cent coins, to make their point.

The poker chips are an obvious nod to Trump’s past as a casino owner, Green stating:

"He does international politics like he's playing. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses big.”

The massive coin and poker chip portrait - almost eight feet by five feet (about 2.4 meters by 1.7 meters) - is yet to find a home after New York's Ukrainian Art Institute of America declined to carry the piece, despite already exhibiting their Putin work. Green says the Institute doesn’t want "to make waves," between Kiev and Washington.

The artists, who consider themselves to be ‘political refugees’ hope that their Trump and Putin portraits will be homed together, Marchenko stating:

"They will be face-to-face, they will have a dialogue."