Alake Shilling's Monumental Inflatable Sculpture 'Buggy Bear Crashes Made in L.A.' Debuts

Alake Shilling has unveiled 'Buggy Bear Crashes Made in L.A.' (2025), a monumental outdoor inflatable sculpture produced in partnership with Art Production Fund. The work features one of her signature characters—a stern-eyed bear driving a hot-pink convertible—positioned atop a colossal hilltop adorned with strawberries and daisies. Installed outdoors, this large-scale piece reflects Shilling's enduring fascination with scale, whimsy, and surrealism. Drawing inspiration from cartoons, California funk's playful materiality, and the grotesque figuration associated with the Chicago Imagists, she creates an emotionally textured ecosystem. Like her ceramic works, the sculpture balances cuteness with unease, inviting viewers into a fantastical world. The project was presented on September 4, 2025, in Los Angeles, continuing Shilling's exploration of fantastical narratives through immersive, large-scale forms.