BANKSY // Happy Chopper, 2006

  • Banksy’s 2005 Happy Chopper helicopter with bow, blending warfare and innocence in stark contrast.

    Banksy, Happy Choppers, 2006
    Spray paint and emulsion on canvas
    126.7 x 182.9 cm (49 7/8 x 72 inches)
    Stencilled with the artist’s name
    Signed, dated 2006 and numbered 1/3 on the overlap (1/3)

    © Banksy.

    Happy Choppers, executed in 2006, is one of Banksy’s most recognisable anti-war artworks. This version features a fleet of Apache helicopters adorned with cartoonish pink bows, flying in formation across a moody sky. Equal parts absurd and unsettling, the work fuses brute military force with childlike innocence, turning weapons of war into grotesque toys. 
     
    The pink bows mock the façade of so-called "peacekeeping" efforts, forcing viewers to question the narratives surrounding war, power, and propaganda. Variations of the piece appeared in Banksy’s landmark 2006 Barely Legal show in Los Angeles, and the motif has since become emblematic of the artist’s critical stance on state violence. With its painterly finish and sharp irony, Happy Choppers remains a definitive statement in Banksy’s visual arsenal.

     

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  • “A wall is a very big weapon. It’s one of the nastiest things you can hit someone with.”

    – Banksy

    Created in 2006, Happy Choppers shows multiple Apache helicopters flying across a dramatic sky, each marked by a bright pink bow. The clash between brute force and childish decoration creates a jarring contrast that undermines the seriousness of military imagery. The piece reflects Banksy’s satirical approach to war, propaganda, and the ways violence is repackaged to appear palatable.
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