Anthony Le
Just the Tip
2021

Acrylic on stretched canvas
20 x 16 x 0.5 in
50.8 x 40.6 1.3 cm

This is just the tip of the beginning.

This painting is inspired by Bowen Yang’s iceberg skit on Saturday Night Live. This unexpected performance is just “the tip of the iceberg” of Yang’s comedic prowess. His portrait represents Asian excellence but also introduces humor to the difficult topic of climate change.

This is just the tip of the end.

The figure is also a harbinger of climate change through melting ice caps and icebergs iconography. The natural landscape in the background evokes islands directly affected by rising sea levels such as the Maldives.