Our capital city is known for many things - beautiful architecture, an abundance of history and to top it all off, a magnificent castle positioned right in the center of it all.. but one thing Edinburgh is definitely not recognised for is its street art - which was actually somewhat non-existent... until now. Whilst making good use of those daily walks in lock-down some of you may have come across some graffiti art which has mysteriously began to crop up not just around Edinburgh, but in Glasgow city center too. And well, if you have yet to stumble upon these works of art it in person, then I am sure you may well have spotted them popping up all over social media, in your local newspaper or even on the TV!
He has been dubbed as Glasgow's answer to Banksy, however he has completely paved his own way in the world of street art over the last 5 years.. and now, the very clever created imagery he has produced at the first half of 2020 has catapulted him straight into the limelight. So who is this perplexing artist we hear you ask?.. Well, what if we told it was a huge pink bear who was born out of the swamps of Absurd who realised his true passion in life was picking up a spray can and getting to work? (Hey, it's 2020... stranger things have happened)
The Rebel Bear's works have always been fueled by social and political aspects of everyday life - taking aim at Donald Trump, Brexit and the power of social media over the last 5 years, yet it has been his most recent focus that has been one of the most impressive.
During the height of the pandemic, the bear began to paint murals not only influenced by Covid-19 but also to pay tribute to the NHS and their hard work over this time. 'Fear and Love' emerged overnight back in March and came as a beacon of hope in a sense, with The Rebel Bear explaining that the couple kissing represented a time when the masks could be pulled down, the borders would re-open and connections could be remade.
Not long after this he headed to Ashton Lane in Glasgow to create 'Front-Line' which was dedicated to all the front line medical workers fighting through the pandemic, and in an act of kindness even donated part of the profits from the prints of this work to charities who support the staff.
The more people stumbled across these works, the more attention they generated, with many posting images across their instagram, twitter and Facebook and soon made their way to the press, being covered by the likes of BBC News, The LA Times and even featuring on STV.
If you take a stroll down Leith Walk and look around you may discover 'Unity' inspired by the latest Black Lives Matter movement or 'Protest', depicting various animals rioting in the streets to keep the humans locked up, or you can even head over to Granton Pier and spot 'Poseidon' (if you can manage battling against some rather alarming gale forces)
But the most exciting part?! You can now come and see The Rebel Bears works right here in our gallery... and even take one home for yourself, as he becomes the newest artist to sign with Robertson Fine Art. We have a sensational new collection of works featuring limited editions of some of his most acclaimed street art and even brand new original 1/1 pieces which have been hand sprayed onto concrete screed board. We could not be more thrilled to introduce our clients to the pink bear who is very much making history!
You can see the full collection of The Rebel Bears works here and please get in touch with your nearest gallery for more information or to arrange a viewing.