Category: Street Art

2026, Street Art, UK

New statue in London. 30 April, 2026

by R.A.

The internet started buzzing around 5 pm on 29 April, when the first pictures appeared of a new statue in the very heart of London. The day after, around noon, Banksy confirmed the statue on his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXwf7pis6KT/

It’s a brilliant work of art. The style and dimensions resemble those of other statues of kings and admirals in the area. One interpretation could be “Blinded by Nationalism,” which is indeed a growing concern not only in the US and Russia, but also in other parts of the world. The history books will probably consider it a masterpiece of political art. 

Photos: http://www.banksy.co.uk

The location is triple A

The location is absolutely stellar, at the intersection of Waterloo Place and Pall Mall, just a few hundred meters from Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, and the Parliament – right in the epicentre of where the British Empire was once governed.

How did they do it?

This area, Saint James’s, is home to many government buildings and foreign embassies as well as some of the UK’s most select private members’ clubs. It’s a heavily guarded area, 24/7, not only by the police, but also by the military and by private security. How did Team Banksy manage to install a politically charged statue in the very heart of London, surrounded by CCTV cameras, police and military personnel everywhere?

According to the footage Team Banksy published on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/DXwf7pis6KT/), the installation took place at night, most likely around 2 am, in early morning hours of Wednesday, 29 March. The statue and the plinth are made of fibreglass, with the plinth base made of cement. One can discern that the statue was delivered by a crane truck. Team Banksy used cones, high-visibility vests, and other paraphernalia, giving the impression that it was a legit installation of a new statue. In central London, it’s not unusual to see installations and maintenance work of all types performed at night. That would explain why the police and security personnel in the area didn’t react.

Team Banksy returned with a film crew around 2 pm on Wednesday to film the statue using a drone and the reactions of some bystanders.

The following are screenshots from the footage Team Banksy posted on Instagram:

Left to right: The crane truck with the cones, a team member in a high-visibility vest installing the cement base, and the crane lifting the statue onto the plinth.

It’s not the first statue in central London

Back in 2004, Banksy installed two memorable statues in the centre of London: In February of 2004, Team Banksy installed The Drinker, a paraphrase of Rodin’s The Thinker, in a small square by Shaftesbury Avenue. In August of the same year, they installed Justice Unveiled, overlooking the Central Criminal Court in the City of London.

Left to right: The Drinker and Justice Unveiled. Photo: aots.co.uk

2025, Street Art, UK

Two identical murals confirmed in London. 22 December 2025

by R.A.

After two days of speculation, Banksy confirmed the murals on his Instagram on Monday afternoon. The artwork depicts two children lying flat on the cold pavement, wearing thick coats, winter boots and caps. One of them is pointing upwards, maybe at the North Star?

It follows Banksy’s long tradition of Season’s Greetings; “The boy with the sledge” from Port Talbot in 2018, “Homeless Ryan” from Birmingham in 2019, etc. 

The same motive has been stencilled at two locations: One in front of the Centre Point Tower in Central London and another identical on top of a row of garages in Queen’s Mews in West London. 

The first one was spotted on Saturday, 20 December, in front of the Centre Point Tower on New Oxford Street. Photo: BBC

The second one, on Queen’s Mews, a few blocks north of Hyde Park, was confirmed by http://www.banksy.co.uk on Monday, 22 December. Photo: @banksy

The placement at the Centre Point Tower has particular significance. As reported by the BBC on 22 December:

“Speaking about the Centre Point mural, artist Daniel Lloyd-Morgan told the BBC said he believed the location was chosen to make a point about child homelessness. 

“Everybody is having a good time but there are a lot of children who are not having a good time at Christmas,” he said.

Mr Lloyd-Morgan said that people walking past the artwork were “ignoring it”, adding: “It’s a busy area. Quite poignant that people aren’t stopping. They walk past homeless people and they don’t see them lying on the street.”

“It’s kind of like they’re stargazing,” he said. “It’s quite fitting that the kids are pointing up like they’re looking at the North Star.”

Banksy enthusiast Jason Tomkins, said he also believed it was a “clear statement on homelessness”.

The Centre Point tower, at 101-103 New Oxford Street, has been a historic focal point for housing protests.  Originally built as an office block in 1963, the Centre Point tower next to Tottenham Court Road underground station, remained unoccupied for over a decade, angering social justice campaigners.

The homelessness charity Centrepoint was named as a response to the building by founder Rev Ken Leech, who described the tower as “an affront to the homeless”.  The block has since been converted into multimillion-pound luxury flats.

Banksy has not commented on the relevance of the location for either of the new works.“

Source BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62d16q93x4o

2025, Street Art, UK

Judge beating fallen protester. London, 8 September 2025

by R.A.

A new piece by Banksy was unveiled today at the Royal Courts of Justice, in the heart of London. At first glance, it looks like a version of his Crazy Hippies from Glastonbury 2010. But this time it’s a judge beating a fallen protester with his gavel while the CCTV camera is looking in the other direction. Given the piece’s location—at the UK’s highest court, in the very centre of London, surrounded by surveillance and security—one might suspect that team Banksy was in a rush to complete the work.

The artwork is most likely Banksy’s comment on the mass arrests of 890 non-violent protesters on Saturday, 6 September. BBC did a feature on the piece: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrq0r0y878o

Photos: http://www.banksy.co.uk

The CCTV camera turned away.

2025, Europe (excl. UK), Street Art

Lighthouse confirmed in Marseille, France. 29 May 2025

by R.A.8 Comments on Lighthouse confirmed in Marseille, France. 29 May 2025
Photo: @banksy
Photo: @banksy

The lighthouse is located in the 7ème Arrondissement district, close to the old port of Marseille. Pictures of the piece have circulated on X since 21 May, but it was not officially confirmed until 3 p.m. on Thursday, 29 May.

The motive is most likely related to the rescue boat MV Louise Michel, which is financed by Banksy and named after French teacher and activist Louise Michel, born on this day in 1830: 

Source: https://www.instagram.com/louisemichelcrew/

As always with Banksy, there are multiple interpretations: it has also been rumoured to be a tribute to the artist known as “Lonely Farmer”, a ‘cult artist’ who recently passed away and had a special relationship with Team Banksy.

2025, Charity, Street Art

Banksy interviews Tox in the Big Issue. 17 March 2025

by R.A.

In this week’s edition of The Big Issue, Banksy interviews TOX, one of Britain’s most prolific and notorious graffiti artists. In the interview, Banksy explains why he has used TOX on numerous occasions in his street art:

“In several of my paintings I’ve put your tag in the background,” Banksy says to TOX. “I kind of use it to signify ‘generic urban decay, damage and abandonment’. No offence. I guess I should’ve asked beforehand, but is that OK?”

“I don’t mind,” TOX responds. “I always had people saying, ‘Banksy’s using your name, when are you going to call him and cash in, he owes you money,’ and I was like, ‘Nah I don’t care, he stuck me up, I don’t care, let him do it.’ I just cared about painting graffiti and stealing spray paint and being me init.”

TOX was sentenced to two years in prison in 2011, which inspired Banksy to paint ‘Boy blowing bubbles’ in Camden Town, using a TOX tag as a prop. Interesting link: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jun/07/tox-graffiti-artist-criminal-damage

Boy blowing bubbles with a TOX tag. Banksy, June 2011. Photo: http://www.banksy.co.uk

This week’s Big Issue is dedicated entirely to graffiti, with TOX’s even more notorious graffiti colleague, 10 Foot, as the temporary editor-in-chief. You can buy the Big Issue here: Big Issue shop.

The Big Issue is a United Kingdom–based street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. The Big Issue is one of the UK’s leading social businesses. It exists to offer homeless people or individuals at risk of homelessness the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them reintegrate into mainstream society. It is the world’s most widely circulated street newspaper. Source: Wikipedia

2024, Street Art, UK

Day 9 of London residency: Great escape at London Zoo. 13 August 2024

by R.A.

Now we know where all the animals came from. The animal kingdom series obviously has a lot to do with the summer riots in London in the previous weeks. One can discern a stoic approach: nature is the only true force, and when you encounter adversity, face it with resilience, humour, and a charitable spirit. 

Photos: http://www.banksy.co.uk

BBC News did a feature on the Animal Kingdom series:

2024, Street Art, UK

Day 6 of London residency: chained leopard in Cricklewood, northern London. 10 August 2024

by R.A.

The leopard is doing the morning stretch while sharpening the claws on a scratching post. Someone might say it’s a panther, but isn’t the panther just a leopard with black fur?

Photo: http://www.banksy.co.uk

Anyway, there are quite a few leopards in the Banksy imagery:

Walled Off, canvas

Banksy’s handling office, Pest Control, issued a statement on the meaning of the London series of animals:

“The artist’s vision is ­simple: the latest street art has been designed to cheer up the public ­during a period when the news headlines have been bleak, and light has often been harder to spot than shade. Banksy’s hope, it is understood, is that the uplifting works cheer ­people with a moment of unexpected ­amusement, as well as to ­gently underline the human capacity for ­creative play, rather than for destruction and negativity. Some recent theorising about the deeper significance of each new image has been way too involved, Banksy’s support organisation, Pest Control Office, has indicated.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/article/2024/aug/10/meaning-new-banksy-series-revealed-latest-london-artwork