Elusive street artist Banksy has officially acknowledged his involvement in a new mural located in Bayswater, an area in west London. This recent artwork features two children clad in wellington boots, coats, and winter bobble hats, with one child pointing towards the sky.
The mural was first observed on Monday, painted on a wall above a range of garages on Queen’s Mews. Furthermore, sources indicate that Banksy is also the creator behind an identical mural that appeared outside the Centre Point tower in central London on Friday, although his representatives have only confirmed the Bayswater piece.
The artist, whose identity remains unknown to the public, revealed his latest work by sharing an image on his Instagram account on Monday afternoon.
Public Reaction and Symbolism
Daniel Lloyd-Morgan, an artist, commented on the Centre Point mural, suggesting that the choice of location was intentionally made to highlight the issue of child homelessness. „Everyone is enjoying themselves, yet many children are not having a good time during the Christmas season,“ he stated.
Mr. Lloyd-Morgan noted that passersby seemed to be ignoring the artwork, remarking, „It’s a busy area, and it’s poignant that people are not pausing. They walk past homeless individuals and fail to recognize them on the street.“ He added, „It’s as if they are stargazing. The positioning of the children pointing up is quite fitting, as it resembles them looking toward the North Star.“
Addressing Homelessness through Art
Commentator and Banksy admirer Jason Tomkins expressed his belief that the mural serves as a significant commentary on homelessness. The Centre Point tower, situated at 101-103 New Oxford Street, has historically been a site for housing protests.
This building, originally established as an office complex in 1963, stood vacant for more than a decade, which incited outrage among advocates for social justice. The charity Centrepoint was founded in response to the building’s existence by Rev. Ken Leech, who labeled the tower as „an affront to the homeless.“ It has since been transformed into opulent residential apartments.
Banksy has yet to provide insights into the implications of the locations of either mural.
Continuity in Banksy’s Work
Tomkins noted a similarity between the artwork and one of Banksy’s previous pieces. „In 2018, he painted in Port Talbot, and the child depicted here resembles the little boy from that artwork,“ he said, highlighting that it is unusual for Banksy to reuse a character.
This new piece follows a September mural created by Banksy in London, which portrayed a protester lying on the ground with a blood-spattered placard while a judge loomed over him, holding a gavel. That particular work was removed from the Queen’s Building at the Royal Courts of Justice shortly after its appearance.
In 2024, Banksy produced an animal trail throughout the city, featuring various creatures, including a goat, elephants, a gorilla, monkeys, piranhas, a rhino, and pelicans, among others.
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Bildquelle: Santiago Pagnotta auf Pexels
