Balaclava business Robyn&Leon and artist Calum Lamb rocked by vandals

Vandals have savagely destroyed a controversial mural in Balaclava twice in as many weeks. The artist now says the work is beyond repair.

Artist Calum Lamb spent two months completing the work only to have it vandalised twice in two weeks. Picture: Stuart Milligan

A street artist is gutted after one of his controversial works was destroyed twice in two weeks.

Calum Lamb spent two months painting the huge architectural skull on the wall of Balaclava design business Robyn&Leon for a commissioned piece, before it was vandalised with red spray paint two weeks ago.

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The full-time artist, 34, then spent more than a week cleaning off the paint and recreating the artwork before the vandals returned with paint stripper and struck again on Thursday night.

“It’s totally peeled and chipped, down to bare brick in some places, and I don’t think it can be resurrected this time,” Lamb said.

He said the artwork, which represented the business’ brand, as well as the industrialisation of inner suburbs and the destruction of the environment, had been supported by nearby traders .

He even had people bringing him food and chatting to him while he painted.

“When we were doing the conception, we had some concerns about the image so asked the neighbourhood — which has a large Jewish component — and they were all positive,” Lamb said.
“To think other people have been offended is heartbreaking and the violence with which they’ve removed it seems like they’ve taken personal offence.”

A design business in Balaclava has had its controversial wall art, featuring a huge skull, vandalised twice in the last two weeks.

His sister Misha, who works at the business, said it was shocking and all the staff had been rattled by it.

“We really don’t know what’s going on and the second (vandalism) is a lot more disturbing.

“It’s been totally destroyed,” Ms Lamb said.
“We have no enemies and just want to know why this has happened.”

The previous artwork was a mural of Twiggy, featuring lots of little frames around it.

Ms Lamb said someone might have been upset that had been removed, but it was getting shabby and had to be taken down.

“It’s awful just coming to work and looking at it and there’s been a financial cost for us too,” she said.

“There’s no point in doing it again because they’ll just destroy it.”

Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.

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