Never one to shy away from the public eye, Madonna has shared a work by Scottish artist Michael Forbes depicting President-elect Donald Trump as King Kong, with the singer as the Statue of Liberty. The post has since gone viral, garnering more than 97,000 “likes” on Facebook and Instagram combined, as of Thursday morning.
The new work portrays “King Kong Trump” sitting atop the Statue of Liberty, which is personified as Madonna with a black eye, holding a sign saying “Not My President.” The comic book hero Superman also makes an appearance, flying towards the President-elect who cradles a damsel in distress that represents the popular vote.
“After Madonna posted it on Instagram my phone has been ringing repeatedly with people telling me about it,” Forbes told the BBC. He is reportedly “amused and pleased” with the overwhelming response.
Forbes, who is based in Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands, has long been open about his opposition to the actions of the US President-elect. He is a member of the “Tripping Up Trump” (TUT) movement, which called for the protest of Trump’s development of a golf course in Aberdeenshire, a council area in Scotland.
“Donald Trump’s track record shows he cannot be trusted to behave reasonably towards his neighbors or act responsibly towards the environment,” TUT’s website reads. “The TUT campaign has been key to Donald Trump’s retreat from the use of compulsory purchase orders.”
Madonna, too, has been a staunch activist against Trump. In early November, she held a surprise concert in New York City in support of Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote despite ultimately losing the election.
“Superman (or woman) to the rescue!” the singer captioned the image in her post, complete with several emojis of hearts, the American flag, and the Statue of Liberty.
The BBC reports that Forbes featured the pop star in the painting due to his appreciation for her influence within the gay community in the US. The Pop Surrealist’s work is currently on view at Pop Gallery in New York City, and was shown at The Club at the Ivy in London last year.