Vancouver police have released photos of a man accused of damaging a piece of art the Vancouver Art Gallery last month.
The damaged piece, titled “Delta Trim,” was created by Indigenous artist Maureen Gruben who lives in the Northwest Territories. The piece is composed of moose hide, bubble wrap, reflective tape, Velcro and zip ties.
Police say the suspect allegedly popped some of the bubble wrap while at the gallery on Feb. 3.
Investigators became aware of the damage after viewing a video posted to social media.
“It is very upsetting to see the blatant disregard towards the artist’s time, energy and creative expression that it took to create this piece of art,” Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said.
Police are looking for a dark-skinned man who appears to be between the ages of 19 and 23 years old with a thin build, brown eyes and black, shoulder-length curly hair.
He was wearing a dark blue jean jacket over a pair of dark-coloured hooded jackets and a black face mask.
Police say the cost to repair the damage could be as high as $6,500.