‘Grin Reaper’ juxtaposes the figure of the Grim Reaper sitting on a clock, which suggests the ‘memento mori’ concept, and the iconic ‘Smiley’ face.
The ‘Smiley’ face is one of the most recognizable logos in Western society, and is associated both to the sphere of synthetic drugs and to the idea of positivity and optimism. Banksy used the Grim Reaper as a subject in his 2013 New York show, placing a mannequin representing it on a bumper car.