What Is Vandal Gummy?
The Iconic Series by WhIsBe
Vandal Gummy is WhIsBe’s iconic series that places the familiar, nostalgic image of a gummy bear against the stark visual language of a prison mugshot.
Holding an identity placard between its paws, the Vandal Gummy brings two opposing ideas together: innocence and consequence, sweetness and severity, familiarity and disruption.
That contrast has become a defining part of WhIsBe’s work, using an image that feels immediately recognizable to draw viewers into a deeper conversation.
From the Street to Sculpture
WhIsBe began installing self-sanctioned work on the streets in 2011, bringing art outside traditional gallery walls and into public space.
Over time, Vandal Gummy evolved across mediums and scale, appearing in street art, prints, silkscreens, limited-edition sculptures and monumental public installations.
Vandal Gummy in Public Space
The series has moved from the street into museums, galleries and major public installations.
In 2016, WhIsBe collaborated with the New Museum in New York on a large-scale installation of three-dimensional Vandal Gummies and limited-edition works.
In 2017, Moco Museum in Amsterdam acquired a seven-foot Vandal Gummy sculpture. That year, WhIsBe was also commissioned to install a seven-foot Vandal Gummy at 4 World Trade Center.
Vandal Gummy has continued to evolve in scale and setting, including the monumental 16-foot sculpture featured as part of WhIsBe’s REWIND installation at the World Trade Center Oculus.
From Art to Candy
In 2024, WhIsBe brought Vandal Gummy into another medium: actual gummy candy.
Vandal Gummy Bears extends the artwork into confectionery, transforming the familiar subject of the series into something people can physically experience.
The artwork and the candy are connected, but distinct: Vandal Gummy is WhIsBe’s artistic series. Vandal Gummy Bears is the artist-owned candy line that grew from it.
