Busy social media star likes to be anonymous
IN THE early hours of Saturday morning, 20-year-old Harry Hambley touched down back on Welsh soil after a quick trip to Los Angeles.
For the Cardiff resident and social media star, it’s been a busy couple of days launching his latest collaboration, this time with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Kimchi.
That’s alongside managing his 1.3 million Instagram followers and dealing with the constant demand for his merchandise. Not bad for someone who left school at 18 to doodle away in his bedroom.
While his work may be plastered across Instagram, Harry is not a figure you would instantly recognise.
Instead, you may be familiar with his cartoon creation Bean and his brand Ketnipz, now run by Harry and a team supporting him around the world.
Together, they work to make sure Bean and his antics spread a positive message across social media, while keeping the artist behind it out of the limelight.
Speaking previously, Harry, who rents a flat in Canton, said: “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do at uni, so I thought I didn’t want to spend the money. I knew that I wanted to travel and start a business, so I did and I was just lucky.
“I just wanted to make something that could be anything really and that could be quite ambiguous.
“I had the initial idea of The Bean quite quickly. It started off a bit more creepy but then I realised that cute sells better, so I changed it a little bit.”
With his visa application well under way, it will only be a matter of time before he makes the permanent move to America, while the rest of his friends finish university.
Harry said: “We’re set up in the States on the merchandise side so there’s a team there who help design and I occasionally hire people to help with animation projects. It’s a pretty small team – I have my business partner and about five people who help.
“I’m aiming to take a few weeks off in December. I’ll work most days and only when I’m burnt-out I’ll take a few days out.”
In the past celebrities including singer Paloma Faith and DJ Diplo have been using Harry’s work, helping propel him to fame.
He said: “It’s been [growing] slow and steady, which I think is lucky because a lot of people blow up and don’t know what to do, freak out and it goes south.”
He added: “My sister just came out of uni and my mates are in the middle of that. I get a little jealous at times because I really like the look of university life, but whenever I raise it they say they would much prefer to do what I’m doing.”
Luckily, Harry is able to escape the online trolling that other social media stars are subject to – mostly because of his positive message.
Despite his hundreds of thousands of followers, it’s also allowed him to remain virtually anonymous.
He said: “I like it when people recognise the Bean and that’s what I want, just getting that character out. The best thing apart from my job is I can be really really ugly and still put out content.”
He added: “Because my work is so positive and cute if anyone is challenging me it’s almost petty, it’s like beating a kitten or something. I’m not too controversial.
“Of course we want to put out as much positive content as possible but I’m also trying to keep it as real as possible too. It’s disingenuous to always be happy, so in my content I try to put out as many different sides and emotions as possible.”
■ You can follow Harry’s work on his Instagram page, or at www. ketnipz.com