Two murals featuring haunting images of a pile of teddy bears riddled with bullet holes are a stark “Christmas eye-opener” on the impact of the ongoing Gaza conflict on children, its artist told Times of Malta.

Renowned street artist James Micallef Grimaud, who signs his works as Twitch, unveiled two poignant murals last month – one in Qui-si-Sana, Sliema and a similar one in London.

Titled The Loss of Innocence, the murals show blood seeping out of the shot teddy bears onto the surrounding surfaces.

Silhouettes of Palestinian children, adorned with the traditional keffiyeh – scarves that have long been a symbol of Palestinian nationalism – stand atop the macabre scene, next to a Palestinian flag, their innocence shattered by the violence.

The sky in the background is bleak and a couple of drones are seen flying around the children, who are surrounded by gloomy, greyish buildings symbolising the troubled Middle Eastern land.

The London mural adds a chilling touch, with the teddy bears sporting Santa hats – a stark reminder of the stolen childhoods amid the festive season.

“This was a bit of a Christmas eye-opener,” Micallef Grimaud explained, saying he was moved to create the murals after following daily news reports of babies and infants being killed in the war.

“I wanted to bring some awareness to the gravity of the situation. I do understand there is suffering on the other side as well, but the current level of violence against children is unacceptable.”

The London mural, which adds a chilling touch, with the teddy bears sporting Santa hats – a stark reminder of the stolen childhoods amid the festive season. Photo: James Micallef Grimaud

He had already produced a similar mural at the height of the Syrian war some years back.

Both the Malta and the London murals measure approximately 10 metres in length and Micallef Grimaud said the one in Sliema took him three days to complete.

Grimaud, who has been practising street art since his youth, has a special permit to draw murals and other graffiti in designated spots around Malta.

Graffiti is illegal in Malta and it is otherwise considered vandalism, except for designated spaces, such as the Msida skatepark and Qui-si-Sana, where artists who have a permit may freely express themselves, often with satirical pieces that convey political protest.

The permit also comes with responsibilities. The paint he used to draw the blood seeping over the Qui-si-Sana rocks, for instance, is biodegradable chalk, which can be washed off, and even if it is not, it will wash away naturally within a few weeks without harming the environment.

“That’s how it should be. Otherwise it’s vandalism, not art,” he said.

The London mural was also produced in an area designated for such art – in the south-east London town of Penge, where there is a car park that is being used as an exhibition area for street artists.