Summary
A monochrome vinyl/resin figure depicting Banksy's "Bomb Hugger" motif in three dimensions: a young girl with a ponytail, dressed in a t-shirt, skirt, leggings and trainers, tenderly cradling a large aerial bomb as though embracing a friend or pet. It translates one of Banksy's most recognizable anti-war stencil images (also known as "Bomb Love" / "Bomb Middle England," c. 2003) into a collectible sculptural object.
Why It Matters
The Bomb Hugger is among Banksy's signature anti-war statements, collapsing innocence and atrocity into a single image: a child showing affection toward an instrument of mass killing. The juxtaposition forces the viewer to confront how violence is normalized and even embraced by ordinary society. As a freestanding figure rather than a flat print, this version makes that uneasy intimacy physical and inescapable, extending an image born in the era of the Iraq War into a three-dimensional collectible.
Collector Perspective
As a manufactured figure rather than a hand-pulled, signed Pictures on Walls screenprint, this object sits in a different collecting lane than Banksy's blue-chip editioned prints. Vinyl/resin Bomb Hugger figures are typically produced as licensed or unofficial collectibles and generally carry no artist signature, no POW provenance, and no individual edition numbering, which caps their value relative to authenticated paper works. They appeal mainly to thematic and display-oriented collectors who want the iconic image in sculptural form. Buyers should verify the specific maker and confirm whether any piece is officially sanctioned before paying a premium; documentation here matters more than usual.
Historical Context
The Bomb Hugger image emerged around 2003, against the backdrop of the Iraq War and intense anti-war sentiment in Britain, and became one of Banksy's defining pacifist images alongside works such as Napalm and Happy Choppers. The girl-and-bomb pairing distills his recurring strategy of placing children beside weapons to expose the absurdity and horror of state violence. This figure, dated 2017, is a later object-form interpretation that carries that early-2000s protest image into the collectible market of the Contemporary era.
FAQ
What does the Bomb Hugger Figure depict?
A young girl with a ponytail, wearing a t-shirt, skirt, leggings and trainers, lovingly hugging a large aerial bomb as if it were a friend or pet. It is the three-dimensional version of Banksy's well-known Bomb Hugger (Bomb Love) anti-war image.
Is this a signed Banksy?
No. As a vinyl/resin figure rather than a hand-pulled print, it is unsigned and carries no artist signature.
What is the edition size?
The edition size is not documented for this figure. Unlike Banksy's numbered Pictures on Walls prints, object versions like this are typically produced without individual edition numbering.
What is it made of?
The exact medium is not specified, but it presents as a molded vinyl or resin sculptural figure finished in Banksy's signature black-and-white palette.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is the anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from Bristol in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark humour, and anti-war, anti-establishment imagery, along with high-profile stunts like the self-shredding Girl with Balloon.
About the Artist
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose identity remains officially unconfirmed. Emerging from the Bristol underground scene in the early 1990s, he developed a fast, stencil-based technique for working in public space, pairing dark humour with anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment messages. Recurring motifs include rats, monkeys, riot police, and children with balloons or weapons. Many of his prints were published through Pictures on Walls and rank among the most heavily traded in the secondary market, while stunts such as the self-shredding Girl with Balloon, the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and the Gross Domestic Product homeware line have made him one of the most recognised artists in the world.
Collecting Banksy at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Banksy prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Banksy prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Banksy prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Banksy and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.