Contemporary artist WhIsBe has established a formidable reputation in both the renegade world of street art but also the mainstream art world encompassing the museum, gallery and arena of public installations. Regardless of where he works, the artist remains anonymous. His moniker, shorthand for “What is Beauty”, is at once innocuous and sweet and introduces more substantive themes of cultural examination and subversion that underline much of his body of work.

WhIsBe attended New York’s School of Visual Arts; however, the art techniques he utilizes are largely autogenous. Inspired by Andy Warhol’s ingenious use of commercial imagery coupled with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s disruption of public space, WhIsBe wanted to share his message with a broad spectrum of people, not only those who have access to museums and galleries, and began putting up self-sanctioned work in the street in 2011. WhIsBe has since gone on to generate more and more content that sparks thoughtful dialogue and nuanced socio-awareness. Using a subversive formula of colliding seemingly innocent images with meaningful messages, WhIsBe’s subtle alterations to known designs irrevocably disrupt their meaning. For instance, in his iconic Vandal Gummy series, WhIsBe places the beloved sugary treat against a prison mugshot background, gripping an identity placard in between his gelatin paws. This juxtaposition between the nostalgic and the sinister has become a hallmark of WhIsBe’s body of work—in presenting attractive images that viewers initially feel safe absorbing, WhIsBe cleverly and strategically encourages them to examine their own critique of problematic institutions.

WhIsBe has partnered with charities and corporations ranging from the Art Works Charity Foundation to Charity Water to Red Bull to COACH and has exhibited work at notable events including: Art Basel through Castle Fitzjohns Gallery, Context & Art New York, and Art Southampton through the Keszler Gallery. In 2016, he collaborated with the New Museum in New York City to create a large-scale installation of three-dimensional, polychrome Vandal Gummies as well as a series of limited-edition prints. In 2017, publications such as business insider, Vice HBO and Forbes wrote articles focusing on the artist along with the MOCO Museum Amsterdam acquiring a seven-foot tall “Vandal Gummy” sculpture. Also in 2017, WhIsBe was invited among select significant contemporaries to create work for 4 World Trade Center's 69th floor and commissioned to place a seven foot tall “Vandal Gummy” sculpture for the buildings lobby centerpiece.

In a bold move in 2024, WhIsBe extended his Vandal Gummy concept into a tangible venture, launching a line of Vandal Gummy Bears candies. This initiative bridges his art with confectionery, continuing his commitment to challenging perceptions and engaging audiences in novel and unexpected manners.