Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “Zombie Ziggy”
Summary
"Zombie Ziggy" reworks the famous Ziggy Stardust-era portrait of David Bowie, splitting his face down the middle so one half is the made-up glam icon and the other a grinning, hollow-eyed skull, with Bowie's hands crossed over his chest and D*Face's signature white cartoon wings sprouting at the temples. It is a characteristic D*Face mash-up of celebrity worship and mortality, turning a pop deity into a memento mori.
Why It Matters
The print sits at the intersection of two of D*Face's central obsessions: the cult of fame and the skull as a reminder that even icons decay. By choosing Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, an artist who built a career on manufactured personas, D*Face sharpens his usual critique of celebrity into something more affectionate and elegiac. The half-skull treatment is a direct nod to the vanitas tradition reframed through screen-print pop, and the winged motif ties the image back to his recurring visual vocabulary, making it instantly identifiable as his work rather than a generic tribute.
Collector Perspective
With an edition of just 32, this is one of D*Face's smaller screen-print runs, which limits supply considerably compared to his more common editions of 100 to 300. The Bowie subject matter gives it crossover appeal beyond core street-art buyers into music-memorabilia and celebrity-portrait collectors, which broadens the potential demand pool. The skull-and-celebrity combination is among D*Face's more desirable themes. Realistically, scarcity at this level means it surfaces infrequently on the secondary market, so pricing is driven more by when an example appears than by steady comparable sales.
Historical Context
Produced in 2012, the work belongs to D*Face's Pop Provocation era, when he was steadily mining advertising, comic-book and celebrity imagery for subversion. The source image references Bowie's 1972-73 Ziggy Stardust persona, the glam-rock alter ego that itself played with ideas of constructed identity and the disposability of fame. Recasting that persona as half-dead aligns the piece with the broader vanitas and memento-mori themes that run throughout D*Face's skull-based output.
FAQ
What does Zombie Ziggy depict?
It shows David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust persona with the left half of his face rendered as a grinning skull, his hands crossed over his chest, and D*Face's signature white cartoon wings at the temples, against a deep red background.
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 32, making it one of D*Face's smaller and scarcer screen-print runs.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print, produced in 2012.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, though this should be confirmed against the specific example and its certificate or pencil markings.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is the British street artist Dean Stockton (born 1978, London), a pop-art provocateur known for defacing comic, advertising and celebrity imagery, his winged-eyed 'D*Dog' and skull motifs, and for co-founding the StolenSpace gallery.
Related Works
About the Artist
D*Face is the working name of Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a leading figure in British street art. He came up pasting stickers and posters across London in the early 2000s, then built a pop-fuelled visual language that defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity iconography. Recurring motifs include his winged-eyed D*Dog, grinning skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers. His practice spans screenprints, hand-painted multiples, sculpture and large-scale murals worldwide, and he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London. His work satirises consumerism, power and our collective obsession with fame.
Collecting D*Face at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic D*Face prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of D*Face prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new D*Face prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across D*Face and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.