Alake Shilling: Buggy Bear Goes on a Cool Cruise

Commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art for the New York City Department of Transportation’s Arterventions program, Buggy Bear Goes on a Cool Cruise is the latest in a series of paintings and sculptures that depict Buggy Bear, a character imagined by Los Angeles–based artist Alake Shilling. Through the bear’s adventures, Shilling explores different aspects of her life and self, bringing to mind ideas of childhood, exploration, and storytelling.

In this mural, Shilling’s first public artwork, Buggy Bear cruises under a sunny blue sky on a road littered with flowers. With its vibrant colors and enticing figure reminiscent of soft toys and stuffed animals, the work invites viewers to travel alongside Buggy Bear to a deeper understanding of life’s journey. Buggy Bear’s path mirrors an archetypical human one—full of complexity, beauty, and pleasure, but also uncertainty, disappointment, and even sadness.

This work was installed in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation, the Meatpacking District Management Association, TF Cornerstone, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.