At Subtopia, there are two artworks by the British artist Crossie, both depicting butterflies and children that seem to come out of a fairy tale. One piece is in a sometimes hard-to-reach spot under a bridge arch at Dekorverket, and the other inside Subtopia’s main building on the ground floor.
For Crossie, graffiti is about freedom, and she sees graffiti painting as a political act. By creating feminine, soft, and beautiful works, she aims to challenge the masculine and male-dominated graffiti world.
The motifs often consist of butterflies, as in both works here at Subtopia. Crossie is fascinated by the transformation of butterflies and their beautiful patterns, drawn to their fleeting fragility. They symbolize change and rebirth. The fairy children at the bottom of the wall on the ground floor of the main building also become a symbol of the freedom and imagination a child can possess.