WHISBE’S VANDAL GUMMY BEAR:
How Pop Art Questions Beauty and Society
New York artist WhIsBe (pronounced “Wiz-bee”) has turned childhood nostalgia into a weapon of societal critique. Best known for his iconic Vandal Gummy Bear sculptures—candy-coloured creatures stamped with mugshots and moral questions—he merges pop art’s playfulness with street art’s grit. In an exclusive interview, WhIsBe dissects the symbolism behind his work, the paradox of “innocence lost”, and why he believes art should intrigue as much as it delights.
WhIsBe: "The acronym, born in my 20s, mirrors my mission: art that provokes thought, not passive consumption. Beauty isn’t a fixed ideal—it’s a debate. My Vandal Gummy Bears hijack a universal symbol of joy to ask uncomfortable questions: Can sweetness be subversive? Who decides what’s “guilty” or “innocent”?"
Your work juxtaposes playful gummy bears with themes like “innocence lost.” Why use candy to explore darker ideas?
WhIsBe: "My style blends the vibrance of pop art with the raw grit of street art. The gummy bear is this universal symbol of childhood joy, right? But slap a mugshot on it, and suddenly you’re asking, What crime did this bear commit? It’s a metaphor for losing naivety—not to depress, but to spark curiosity about society’s contradictions."
The mugshot backdrop is iconic in your work. What’s the story there?
WhIsBe: "The mugshot isn’t just a visual—it’s a collision of innocence and consequence. Imagine arresting a childhood icon: What crime does joy commit in a cynical world? The date is my personal anchor, but I leave it open. What’s your defining moment? Was it betrayal? A triumph? The bear’s “arrest” forces you to reflect: When did you lose your innocence? Art should make you interrogate your own narrative, not just mine."
How do you want to be remembered, both as an artist and as a person?
WhIsBe: "As a person? Someone who lived unapologetically. As an artist? A translator. My work takes the chaos of human experience—loss, power struggles, societal hypocrisy—and turns it into something you can see, touch, and debate. If my bears make you question who defines “beauty” or “guilt,” that’s the legacy. Art shouldn’t soothe—it should scrape at the sugar coating of the world."
Guilty of curiosity?
The Vandal Gummy Bear mugshots await judgement at
Hong Kong’s I.T Hysan One.
Free admission, no bail required.
Guilty of curiosity?
The Vandal Gummy Bear mugshots
await judgement at Hong Kong’s I.T
Hysan One.
Free admission, no bail required.
