Antony Micallef: Trump’s Fags

Acclaimed British artist Antony Micallef, whose work has been exhibited at leading galleries worldwide and gained high-profile collectors, is no stranger to provocation.

Described as a modern Expressionist, Micallef is known for producing artwork that transcends social, cultural, and political boundaries, and his recent piece in support of Peace One Day, entitled Trump’s Fags (completed ahead of the November 8th results), is no different. 

“I used to paint self-portraits and made-up cartoon characters on the back of the cig boxes, as it was dark and humorous to me in some juvenile way. I like the idea of mixing language and contrasting images that mix messages to create something else. I think there is a fun alchemy in there and it’s the fusion of light and dark imagery that creates the bit I find exciting. I was asked to do something for Peace One Day and the idea instantly came into my head. I love the power of logos and symbols and how they can say so much instantly. Donald Trump’s orange face and blond hair do work very similarly in a way as a logo for his brand. He’s a parody of the bad guy on The Simpsons, where it’s very hard to tell what is real and what is fake." Antony Micallef