Brazen Theft of ‘Female Banksy’ Art Has London Authorities Scrambling

The work of an artist considered the “female Banksy” has been stolen in London, and authorities have mobilized to track it down. As you may know, Banksy is the pseudonym of a mysterious English graffiti artist and activist who has kept his true identity secret for years. His work has been described as “guerrilla street art,” and is often critical of government and authority figures.

The stolen art, which consists of five murals depicting sharks, was created by a woman who calls herself “Bambi.” The artist reached public attention when word spread that celebrities were becoming interested in her work. Bambi’s patrons are said to include singers Adele and Harry Styles of One Direction, as well as Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. She caused a sensation in 2011 when she created a likeness of late singer Amy Winehouse in a doorway.

The missing murals were slated to be auctioned off for charity called Art Against Knives, and have an estimated value of £20,000 (around $32,000 in U.S. dollars). The pieces, painted on wooden panels and depicting pink flowers among the sharks, were lifted from an outdoor gallery.

Art Against Knives benefits youth who live in parts of London with high rates of knife attacks. It was founded in honor of an art student named Oliver Helmsey, who was the victim of a stabbing in 2008.

As for the “original” Banksy, earlier this week the Inquisitr reported on the vandalization of one of his most recent creations. The street artist’s “Girl With a Pierced Eardrum” — a play on the famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring” by Johannes Vermeer — was defaced within a day of the piece being painted on the side of a building in the English town of Bristol.

An infamous street artist in England who goes by Banksy recently painted a mural satirizing Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” on the side of a Bristol building. But within the first 24 hours of Banksy painting the stunning graffiti, somebody has already vandalized it by splashing it with black paint. This marks only the most recent example of Banksy art being defaced.

Could the theft of the ‘female Banksy’ art, and the defacing of actual Banksy murals, be signs of a targeted campaign against this type of graffiti art or the secretive artist himself?

[Image via The Telegraph]