A British artist is appealing for help to locate an iconic Ibiza sculpture that was stolen from outside his studio. The 12-stone, 6ft 2in statue named Bertha vanished from the entrance of Lost Artist Ibiza near Santa Eulalia last Friday, after being a local landmark for six years.
Christopher Stone, who runs the studio, raised the alarm on an expat Facebook group, describing the theft as a suspected prank. He wrote: 'Our entrance sculpture Bertha has been stolen. It's a very large and recognisable sculpture, so somebody will have seen something.' He urged anyone with information to contact him privately, adding: 'We're hoping this was taken as a joke and can simply be returned, no questions asked.'
Stone, whose workspace is a cluster of converted farm buildings on the road between Ibiza Town and Sant Joan, said he noticed Bertha missing on Friday. He told local media: 'I pass by about twice a day to go to my studio and on Friday Bertha wasn't there.' He added that police had said they did not have high hopes of finding the sculpture due to a lack of cameras in the area.
The statue depicts a woman in a big yellow hat carrying a little pig under her arm, intended as a fun, eccentric local character. It had become a popular spot for tourists to take selfies. Social media responses to Stone's appeal expressed shock and support, with one UK-based artist friend saying: 'It will be found... not so easy to hide.'
