The Knife Angel: a controversial sculpture that tours the United Kingdom

A sculpture in the shape of a monstrous angel created with thousands of sharp knives causes recurring controversy in the United Kingdom.

It is a work by artist Alfie Bradley in collaboration with the British Ironworks Center and 10,000 knives were used to create it. The origin of these knives and the sculpture itself have become a cause of controversy.

The knives come from British police stations that seized these weapons (or, in some cases, were handed in by their owners in exchange for a kind of 'police amnesty' for small crimes) and are part of a criminal phenomenon that horrifies the United Kingdom.

The British press called 'zombie knives' a type of large weapon that is popular among youth gangs and that have been used in savage attacks for years, resulting in deaths and serious injuries.

The British government declared a battle against this type of knives and issued a permit so that the police could seize them. In principle, the sale of these knives has been prohibited since 2016 but they continue to circulate.

According to the BBC in 2023, the British police reported 45,000 knife attacks and 260 murders. This sculpture is intended to be a symbol of tribute to the victims and support for non-violence.

Mothers and fathers of knife attack victims created a Facebook group called 'Say no to the Knife Angel'.

In statements reported by The Guardian, Cheryl Evas (mother of Warren Graham, who died in 2004 at the age of 18 after being stabbed in the chest) said: "An angel is pure, a knife is the devil’s creation to the death of our young people and those who use it to end innocent lives."

But, as can be seen in some of the messages that people leave around the sculpture, there is also significant support for the initiative.

The Guardian collected one of these messages of support signed by Caroline Searer, mother of a boy murdered at the age of 17 with one of these knives: "“This is a sculpture of hope. I feel privileged to have my son’s name on it, as I do not want anyone else living our nightmare.”

The Angel of Knives is a traveling sculpture, and is displayed in different parts of the United Kingdom. And wherever it goes it sparks debate.

Many relatives of victims assure that it has no use as a tool for raising awareness and that it even trivializes an issue as serious as youth violence.

This sculpture has been touring the United Kingdom since 2017. And it is a fact that knife violence did not stop despite the display of this symbol.

Beyond the controversy, the truth is that the Knife Angel is impressive and hypnotic.

Behind that sculpture there are thousands of daily tragedies in the United Kingdom. Like 15-year-old Elianne Andam, stabbed to death in London by another teenager in September 2023. In the image, flowers paying tribute to Elianne.

This image from August 2023 says a lot about the magnitude of the problem: Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, visiting a police station to see first-hand the work of knife seizures.