Imbue (1988) - Mini Drug Lord

Magnificent Imbue sculpture, "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 taxes already paid for the EU
Careful shipping, tracked and insured

A “Drug Lord” crossover produced by the Imbue studio. There are hundreds of variations, both in the two 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 drug (and vice versa):
The work is a visual quotation of the famous line by Karl Marx, “Religion is the opium of the people.”
Imbue fuses the supreme symbol of spiritual faith (the cross) with the symbol of dependence and modern chemical relief (medication).

Critique of the pharmaceutical industry:
By replacing Jesus with pills, the artist designates the giants of the sector (Big Pharma) as the new “Drug Lords” of contemporary society.
Medicines are consumed blindly to ease the pains of the soul, taking on a dogmatic and ritual function similar to the religious one.

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

Imbue was born in London on January 19, 1988. He spent his childhood in Kent County in the southeast of Australia. The artist recalls always having a penchant for creation, a pursuit fueled by his father. Nicknamed the new Banksy, Imbue doesn’t just sign his name on walls. Provocative and perverse, the street artist distorts advertisements or army recruitment posters and even goes so far as to introduce a wicked White—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, subverting religious and popular iconography to give it a new meaning. In 2008, he installed sugar powder vending machines displaying 'cocaine' and 'heroin' on the street in Brighton without concern, challenging the public and authorities on the drugs found on each street corner.
(Source: Tracks ARTE TV)
He has been creating artworks for more than 10 years and is exhibited and collected worldwide.
Imbue was 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.