AMBAL Collection

Alexey Krutko, or Hey.Django – the artist behind this series of figurines inspired by his cat, Django. The Cats of Hey.Django have empty, see-through eyes—this is a metaphor for the multiplicity of perspectives one can direct at the world. But beyond this striking symbolism, Django’s characters seem to become entangled in an untold story: one that is not directly articulated by the author but is only implied or hinted at, allowing the viewer to become involved in the creative process themselves.

The heroes of the day are AMBALs. Ambal is an archfiend in the Hey.Django universe of characters. He sends chills down the spine with his monstrous body and thick black brows angled in fury. While always attired respectfully, his colorways may vary: lemon, flashy pink, rich magenta, scarlet, and even in a silvery turtleneck.

Small but impressive and meaningful, this collection of AMBALs reflects on old movies and cartoons about gangsters and heroes. Among the AMBALs, there are Joker and Swackhummer versions. This is a nice pinch of nostalgia, which can be traced almost everywhere in the art toys world (though it never gets old). On the other hand, the moral behind these cat-gangsters is central to Alexey’s creative work and can be quite surprising: even the most evil creature has complexity and indeterminacy behind it—so even AMBAL has empty eyes.

Want to add this physical toy to your shelf? Head over to the artist’s Instagram and place your order via direct messages 😉 A user picture