Imbue (1988) - Mini Drug Lord

Magnificent sculpture by Imbue, "Mini Drug Lord"
Rare phosphorescent version

Card, PETG, PLA, capsule
155 x 95 x 12 mm
Direct provenance from the artist's studio
Genuine empty medicine capsules in a phosphorescent and transparent cross
Customs duties already paid for the EU
Careful, tracked, and insured shipping

A crossover “Drug Lord” produced by the Imbue studio. There are hundreds of variations, both in the colors of the crossover and in the pills. Each crossover is packaged in a personalized surprise box with a foam insert.

The meaning of the work revolves around three key concepts:

Religion as drugs (and vice versa):
The work is a visual quote of the famous Karl Marx phrase, “Religion is the opium of the people.”
Imbue blends the supreme symbol of spiritual faith (the cross) with the symbol of dependence and modern chemical relief (the medications).

Critique of the pharmaceutical industry:
By replacing the figure of Jesus Christ with pills, the artist designates the giants of the sector (Big Pharma) as the new “Drug Lords” of contemporary society.
Medications are consumed blindly to relieve the pain of the soul, serving a dogmatic, ritual-like function similar to religious.

Faith in science and chemistry:
The title and the structure suggest that modern society has replaced spiritual devotion with an unwavering faith in medical science and the chemical manipulation of one’s own mind.

Imbue was born in London on January 19, 1988. He spent his childhood in the county of Kent in the southeast of England. The artist recalls always having a knack for creation, a quest fueled by his father. Nicknamed the new Banksy, Imbue not only signs his name on walls. Provocateur and provocative, the street artist distorts advertisements or army recruitment posters and even goes so far as to place a vile Snow White on the shelves of a Disney Store. Playing with symbols, he melts a bottle of Coca-Cola into the body of the Virgin Mary, twisting religious and popular iconography to give it a new meaning. In 2008, he installed sugar-dust dispensers displaying “cocaine” and “heroin” on the Brighton seafront without worrying, challenging the public and authorities about the drugs found at every street corner.
(Source: Tracks ARTE TV)
He has been making art for more than 10 years and is exhibited and collected worldwide.
Imbue has been inspired by artists such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey/Obey, JonOne, KAWS, Seen, Banksy, JR, M. Chat, Fake, Parra, Pantone, Arsham, Vhils, Saraiva, Basquiat, Haring, Koons, Cattelan, Murakami, Stik, Brusk, Invader, Dface.