Year: 2003
Medium: Screen print in colors
Dimensions: 69.3 x 48.3 cm (27 3/8 x 19 1/8 in.)
Edition: No.346 of 600
Acquired from PHILLIPS, 2022
A faceless living legend of the streets that continues to throw highly critical messages to the society. He made the graffiti culture widely known throughout the world and converted the young anger on the streets smoldering in the corners of the city into a voice stronger and louder than anyone else’s. This work is also called the “Bomb Hugger”. Who is this smiling girl thinking of as she hugs the bomb lovingly in the bubblegum pink background? BANKSY is also a flag-bearer of resistance to conflict, war, major social problems, and oppression. In the past, caricaturists used their sarcastic smiles as a weapon to fight against politicians and social problems. Similarly, BANKSY manipulated the media and exploited the art market. If bombs were just soft stuffed toys, everyone would smile. The original is said to have been painted on a street in London when the September 11 attacks occurred in 2001, but several variations at different locations have been seen since then. It is a representative motif of his early period.
