Banksy. In one sentence this man of mystery turned the art world head over heels. For which we are truly grateful. His tongue-in-cheeky style led numerous artists to start doing the same, using art as a means of communication to loudly proclaim certain aspects of society, consumerism, certain political situations, and in general our contemporary lifestyle. But there can be only one Banksy.
Through his striking stencil art and profound imagery, Banksy has captured the interest of art lovers, activists, and graffiti artists around the globe. By displaying art in crowded cities across the world, Banksy puts social and political issues straight into our faces. These pieces force us to stop and think—something that we often avoid doing in our day-to-day lives. And there lies the essence of Banksy’s artworks. They truly are an eye-opener.
Art Toys
But what does it take to own a Banksy piece? Now we come to the sad part of the story. To own a Banksy it takes more than an arm and a leg! You know what we mean. Or, if you by any chance get lucky to own a property where Banksy drew, but still, what are the odds? So, you may ask what’s the next best thing (aside from the limited edition prints which are so rare to get your hands on)?
Well, glad you asked. Companies like Medicom Toy, Brandalised, and Mighty Jaxx provide us with the next best thing. We are talking about those iconic pieces turned into art toys. Some say that’s even better. Owning a Banksy piece in a form of a designer art toy or statue. Holy guacamole that is truly something worth having.
So, let’s put all Banksy-inspired art toys and figures here and examine each and every one of them. Enjoy the show.
1) The biggest and the baddest boy on our list — Banksy x Brandalised: 3ft Flower Bomber
After the tremendous success with the mural and prints, one of Banksy’s most iconic artworks now comes in a form of a sculpture 90cm high. The brainchild of Medicom Toy and Brandalised, this superb sculpture now shows up in white color with colorized flowers, all made in resin technique. This astonishing art sculpture can be found in various sizes, materials, and colors, but they all have one thing in common – They are spectacular.
2) Medicom Toy x Brandalised Monkey Sign Statue
Inspired by Banksy’s legendary graffiti “Laugh now, but one day we’ll be in charge”, this beautifully sculpted bronze statue stands proud at 36cm. It bears an equally witty message “Do nothing you’ll live longer” just like in the graffiti artwork. Along with the rat, the monkey is one of Banksy’s most frequently used animal characters, which satirizes the nature of humankind. This statue can also be found in several colors and materials.
3) Flying Balloons Girl By Banksy Bearbrick
Ahh those Bearbrick figures. It was only a matter of time when will Banksy’s art appear on the beloved Bearbrick figures. This particular case bears one of Banksy’s most important works – The Flying Balloon Girl. This piece was created on a wall on the West Bank in Israel in 2005 and carries a poignant political message. This Bearbrick figure comes in 400% and 1000% size.
4) Crayon Shooter — “The crayon is mightier than the sword”
Crayon Shooter statue inspired by Banksy brilliantly indicates that the written word or a crayon doodle in the hands of an innocent boy is a more effective tool for communication than violence. Standing 25cm tall, this polystone art collectible features a young boy holding a loaded crayon machine gun as he stands innocently among doodled flowers. This figure comes in several color variations.
Another Bearbrick figure on our list is inspired by Banksy’s iconic work Flying Copper. The image depicts a heavily armed British police officer with angel wings and a yellow smiley face. Not an everyday policeman we see. Flying Copper first appeared under a number of giant cut-out paintings suspended on cardboard from the ceiling at Turf War, Banksy’s first major exhibition in a warehouse in East London in 2003. After that, Flying Copper murals were then spotted on the streets of Vienna, London, and Berlin. And now, we have it in a form of a Bearbrick figure in several sizes.
6) Brandalised x Mighty Jaxx — Anarchy Rat
Remember, remember the Fifth of November… That epic line suits perfectly with the Anarchy Rat statue. Rats are one of Banksy’s greatest sources of inspiration and one of the most prolific subjects in his work. An anagram of “ART,” the rat is an allegorical tool used by Banksy to reveal the vices and flaws of the human race, and to make a stand for those suffering toiling in the dark and treated as “lesser than.” He once stated, “I’d been painting rats for three years before someone said ‘that’s clever it’s an anagram of art’ and I had to pretend I’d known that all along.”
7) Brandalised x Mighty Jaxx — Liberty Girl
Inspired by the work of Banksy, seen on the streets of New York, Liberty Girl shows a child dressed up as a Statue of Liberty with one quirky detail – She has a finger in her nose. The child is standing on a box, falsifying its height, which could be linked to the same idea of being dubbed, or promised something unachievable (the American dream, in its many forms) with the idea of America. The child also has a kind of arrogant look on his face.
8) Suicide Man Sculpture by Banksy
Released in 2017, this 47 cm tall polystone statue by Medicom Toy x Brandalised is inspired by Banksy. This amazing statue is a part of Medicom toy’s Sync. Brandalism Collection, their collaboration with the iconic UK British Graffiti artist Banksy and the Japanese collectible toy manufacturer. The Suicide Man figure can be found in several color variations.
9) Banksy Flying Balloons Girl Figure
This one is a true classic when it comes to art street art figures. Many believe that the piece by Banksy (which appeared in Israel in 2005) signifies the children trapped by the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians who are longing to fly away to freedom. The Flying Balloons Girl figure can be found in several colors.
10) Banksy Love Rat Figure
The story of Banksy’s Love Rat goes like this – Love Rat graffiti first saw the light of day first on the streets of Liverpool, before being reproduced in 2004 as a highly sought-after limited edition print. And it was natural to take the next step and make it in a form of a statue. Banksy’s rat is often very anthropomorphized, having been granted human characteristics and positioned in unusual or comical situations revealing human vices and flaws. This statue can be found in several color variations as well.
11) Banksy Elephant With Bomb Figure
This totally witty statue is inspired by Banksy’s legendary piece Heavy Weaponry, which shows an elephant made in his recognizable stencil style bearing a rocket strapped to its back, hence the double-entendre in the witty title. The whole idea shows a minimally depicted elephant simply strolling forward, heavy with irony and a strong anti-war message. You can get this figure in several colors.
12) Zigger Brandalised Girl With Balloon
One of Banksy’s most celebrated artworks is the Girl with Balloon or Balloon Girl. This particular piece grew to become one of the most iconic works by Banksy, something that made him reproduce it again but with a different context and in different mediums. The Zigger Brandalised Girl with balloon can be found in several color variations.
13) Banksy Bucket On Head Figure
This one is really something. Pink Angel is Banksy’s reinterpretation of a 19th-century plaster cast of an angel with a paint bucket on its head. Utterly brilliant, right? The work became referred to as the “paint-pot angel,” as Banksy had upended a pot of pink paint on the sculpture and left it covered the angel’s head. The Bucket on head figure also comes in several color variations.
14) Banksy Bomb Hugger Figure
The Bomb Hugger figure is inspired by the early work of Banksy. Bomb Hugger, also known as Bomb Love or Bomb Girl, is an early Banksy screenprint. The image of a girl hugging a deadly bomb has become legendary and explores and tackles love and war – a topic the artist is largely concerned with. A similar image first appeared as a mural in east London in 2003 and another appeared in Brighton the same year. This figure can be found in several color variations.
Did we miss any of the Banksy-inspired art toys and figures?
Photos: Brandalised
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