Bambi (artist)

Bambi is the pseudonym of a contemporary British street artist. Her works focuses on contemporary female identity and its relationship to patriarchal culture. She also highlights political and social injustice. "Bambi" is derived from the childhood family nickname "Bambino" and is a popular artist within the show business world.[1] 

Bambi
Born
Unknown

London
Known forGraffiti
Feminist art
Social commentary
Street art

Collectors of her work include Rihanna,[1] Brad Pitt, and Adele.[2] Bambi's stencilled work is described as gritty and masculine in appearance while exploring themes of feminism, and popular and street culture.[3]

Works
Amy Winehouse, Camden
Amy Winehouse, Camden

Bambi is recognised for her stencilled graffiti and has created various works across London. Bambi first gained attention for her 2011 piece Amy Jade a tribute to the late singer Amy Winehouse in Camden and Diamonds A Girls Best Friend depicting a young Queen Elizabeth II as the Queen of Diamonds, as featured in Time magazine in 2012.[4]

Lie Lie Land, 2017, London

In February 2017 Bambi stencilled a mural called Lie Lie Land on the wall of the Cross Street Gallery at the corner of 40 Cross Street and Shillingford Street, Islington, featuring former British Prime Minister Theresa May and American President Donald Trump in the dance pose from the poster of the movie La La Land. The work became a tourist attraction until it was painted over by new owners in January 2018.[5]

The Pope Gives Us Hope, 2017, Venice

In her first Italian solo show, Bambi exhibited during the 57th Venice Biennale. Bambi revealed a waterfront piece The Pope Gives Us Hope featuring the Pope reaching out to a polar bear in a capsizing boat; the work is designed to reflect the Pope's comments in late 2016 on climate change and his call to end environmental destruction. A long-term environmentalist, Bambi was further inspired after watching the issue-driven documentary Before the Flood by Leonardo DiCaprio and Fisher Stevens. The work can be seen at Ospizio Foscolo Santa Lucia in Fondamenta Sant'Anna 993/a, Castello 30122.[6]

Be As Naughty As You Want, 2017

On 31 August 2017, on the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, Bambi unveiled Be As Naughty As You Want. The piece presents Diana as Disney's Mary Poppins, being carried into the sky by her magical flying umbrella, watched by Prince George and Princess Charlotte. The work is at the entrance to Neal's Yard, off Monmouth Street in Covent Garden, London.[7]

Bambi street art for global climate change protests that appeared in Belsize Park, London, in September 2019.

In September 2019, around the date of the Global Climate Change protests, a Bambi street art picture appeared on the side of a residential building in Belsize Place, NW3, London. The piece presents an ape holding a placard saying "Save Our Homo-sapiens", David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg holding a placard saying "Skolstrejk för Klimatet" (school strike for the climate).

History

In 2010, the vandalism of a popular Bambi stencil in Primrose Hill reignited the long-running London debate over the preservation of street art and resulted in Islington councillors proposing a community committee be established to rule on the future protection of street art.[8]  In early 2011, Bambi commemorated the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton with the satirical slogan "A Bit Like Marmite" across their chests.[9][10]

In 2014 Artnet News named Bambi as one of their Top 20 Art World Women of 2014. The list included artist Marina Abramović and singer Beyoncé.[11]

Controversy
Shark with Butterfly

In 2014 Bambi produced five shark murals for an Islington pop-up gallery in a building site. Estimated to have been worth over £20,000, the murals were stolen overnight by thieves who climbed over a wall and broke into the redevelopment area.[12] The stolen pieces were going to be sold at auction for the charity Art Against Knives before the robbery took place.[13]

References
  1. Chakelian, Anoosh (1 June 2012). "Graffiti Artist Bambi Paints Jubilee Tribute to the Queen". Time. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  2. Lewis, Anna (25 May 2012). "Look what Adele got for her birthday". Heat. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  3. Ferguson, Amanda (27 December 2010). "10 Best Female Graffiti Artists". Made Man. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  4. Chakelian, Anoosh (1 June 2012). "Grafitti Artist Bambi Paints Jubilee Tribute to the Queen". Time.
  5. Sultan, Kamal (30 January 2018). "Anger as Lie Lie Land artwork in Islington shopping street mocking Donald Trump and Theresa May is covered up". Islington Gazette. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  6. "The Pope gives us hope: climate change graffiti unveiled in Venice". The Art Newspaper - International art news and events. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  7. JHiggott (2 November 2019). "Bambi's Princess Diana mural". The Street Art Directory. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  8. Hinton, Josie (21 April 2011). "'Make tea not war' mural tribute to shopkeeper ruined by graffiti vandals - debate opens into preserving street art". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  9. Low, Valentine (2 May 2011). "William and Kate - A Royal Wedding". The Australian. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  10. Chivers, Tom (30 April 2011). "Royal wedding quirky portraits and sculptures of Prince William and Kate Middleton". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  11. "The Top 20 Art World Women of 2014". Artnet News. 23 December 2014.
  12. "Shark murals worth £20,000 by London street artist Bambi stolen from building site". Evening Standard.
  13. Watts, Matt (23 October 2014). "Shark murals worth £20,000 by London street artist Bambi stolen from building site". The Telegraph.
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