First unveiled at Banksy’s landmark Barely Legal exhibition in Los Angeles, Mother Teresa is a striking example of the artist’s sharp irony and cultural critique. The work reimagines one of the most revered figures of compassion as a vessel for shallow slogans, echoing the hollow tone of advertising copy or beauty-magazine advice.

By reducing a symbol of selflessness and sacrifice to a trite catchphrase, Banksy highlights how society often trivialises profound moral legacies in favour of cheap commercial soundbites. The piece critiques both the commodification of religion within popular culture and our collective tendency to consume virtue as spectacle.

Much like other works from Barely Legal, Mother Teresa confronts viewers with uncomfortable questions: what happens when genuine values are co-opted by the language of commerce, and how does society reconcile its admiration for icons of compassion with its appetite for superficial consumption?