The Sheff

Sheffield’s own ‘Banksy’ strikes again with new elephant artwork

Clementine Hall - 1st August 2022

Robin Loxley, Sheffield's answer to Banksy, has created a new piece of street art in the city.

Located on the side of an abandoned building on Upper Allen Street in Netherthorpe just outside of the city centre, you will find a new piece of street art depicting a mother elephant followed by her baby elephant. 

The piece that has been named 'Nelly', is a monochromatic painting which uses the building's pre-existing chimney as the mother elephant's trunk. 

The talented artist, Robin Loxley, said his inspiration came from listening to the childhood favourite 'Nelly the elephant song' from the 1950s. After learning that Nelly left the circus to have a child, he wanted to depict this and paint her 'packing her trunk and saying goodbye to the circus', as the famous lyrics go. It is an artwork which is meant to symbolise the many women and children who have fled the now war-torn Ukraine. 

The piece is also a tribute to Sheffield's Lizzie the elephant, a legendary elephant whom was conscripted during World War One to help with the huge amount of munitions work taking place in Sheffield. Her duties included carting heavy machinery, munition and scrap metal around the city, a job which would usually required at least three horses. 

Revealing the painting on his Instagram, Luxley said “Art is in the eye of the beholder. But I think my people will love Nellie and her yet unnamed baby elephant."

“The use of the chimney as a creative touch. I picked the elephant as a tribute to Sheffield's elephant Lizzie that was at Thomas Wards during WW1 helping out the war efforts. Nellie on the other hand is making her way to freedom.”

Robin Loxley is well known for his work around the city which has previously included a huge sculpture of scissors made out of stone outside Kelham Island. 

You can find out more about his work via his Instagram.

Featured image - Robin Loxley