"The medium used is one I have concocted from water and horse manure, which seemed appropriate considering the subject," wrote the artist Wendy Chartrand.
Source: CHEK News
A portrait of U.S. President Donald Trump made from horse manure has become the most talked-about pieces at this year’s Sooke Fine Arts Show, and it didn’t stay on the market for long.
The artwork, titled “The Don of Dung,” was created by Vancouver Island artist Wendy Chartrand using dried horse manure as its primary medium. The unconventional political portrait sold on the opening day of the exhibition for $1,800 to an anonymous buyer.
The annual Sooke Fine Arts Show, now celebrating its 40th year, features hundreds of works from West Coast artists and has long welcomed pieces that spark conversation alongside more traditional paintings, sculptures and mixed-media works.
“We’ve had many provocative pieces in the show over many years, and it’s a delight how much it engages and inspires conversation in people,” said executive director Jen Heyward.
Visitors were quick to speculate about the portrait’s unusual material, with some initially guessing it had been created using coffee or another monochromatic medium before learning it was made from horse manure.
BREAKING: SO LIFE LIKE! Trump portrait made from literal horse manure becomes instant art show sensation.
If ever there was a work of art that exemplified the famous quote from Marshall McLuhan, “the medium is the message,” it is a recent artwork from Vancouver Island artist… pic.twitter.com/hsQ28DfwAr— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) July 31, 2026
