SLAVE LABOR (BUNTING BOY), 2012

Auction History

Catalogue Note

Executed by Banksy in May 2012 on the outer wall of a Poundland discount store in Wood Green, London. Slave Labour depicts a young child on his knees at a sewing machine, diligently producing a string of Union Jack bunting.

It is believed to have been created by Banksy as a protest against the use of sweatshops for the manufacture of souvenirs commemorating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the then upcoming Summer Olympics in London. The crisis was brought to light in an article by Nicola Smith published in The Sunday Times describing a seven-year-old Indian boy who had been found working 98 hours a week in Delhi making cheap Christmas decorations for an exporter under contract to supply merchandise to the Poundland chain.

One of the most publicized and poignant examples of Banksy’s social commentary, Slave Labor helped bring international attention to the exploitation of youth.