Newsroom
Painter Giorgos Gabriel has done it again, and once more, the internet is doing what it does best: arguing loudly.
Gabriel’s latest artwork, unveiled on social media, puts President Nikos Christodoulides in a place few expected to see him, and many say he shouldn’t be. In the painting, the president is shown smoking a cigarette, dressed in a short red dress, wearing women’s heels, with both fingernails and toenails painted bright red. Curling up from the cigarette smoke is the unmistakable outline of Cyprus itself.
The title? “Cash Only.”
Subtle, this is not.
The image follows a recent controversial video circulated online that hinted at alleged cash corruption linked to the Presidential Palace, a suggestion that already had nerves fraying. Gabriel’s work poured fuel on that fire, with critics accusing the artist of mocking, humiliating or even “glorifying” the president in a deeply provocative way.
Supporters, meanwhile, argue that the painting is political satire, uncomfortable by design, and that art’s job isn’t to soothe but to provoke.
Social media lit up almost instantly. Hundreds of comments flooded in, with reactions swinging wildly between applause and outrage. Some praised Gabriel for “saying what others won’t.” Others accused him of crossing moral, political and personal lines. A few simply asked: Why?
But for those familiar with Gabriel’s work, none of this is exactly new.
This isn’t his first artistic run-in with President Christodoulides, nor with politicians more broadly. And it’s certainly not his first brush with controversy. Late in 2025, Gabriel stirred public anger after sharing collages depicting figures and symbols of the Orthodox faith, including Christ and the Virgin Mary, in ways many believers found offensive and deeply disrespectful.
Back then, as now, the reaction was intense, emotional and sharply divided.
So is Gabriel attacking power? Satirising hypocrisy? Pushing boundaries for the sake of it? Or simply holding up a mirror that some would rather smash than look into?
One thing is certain: whether you see the painting as art, insult or provocation, it’s doing exactly what Gabriel seems to want, forcing people to look, react and argue. And in Cyprus, that may be the most triggering part of all.
See his post below:
