A new mural by British street artist Banksy has been spotted in north London. Residents of the area woke up Monday morning to find the massive art piece, which had appeared overnight.
Rumours immediately swirled about whether the mural was, indeed, a Banksy. The enigmatic street artist appeared to confirm the reports Monday with a series of photos from the site posted to Instagram. (Banksy typically claims credit for his work on social media or on his website.)
The mural was painted on a wall behind a barren tree, stripped of its leaves with its branches pruned down unnaturally. A mass of green paint, dripping down the wall behind the tree, appears to give the plant its foliage again. In the bottom left of the mural stands a stencilled image of a woman holding a spraying device, dripping in green paint.
Banksy didn’t caption the post, but the photo set includes a picture of the site before the mural was started and two shots of the completed artwork.
Banksy expert James Peak, who produced the podcast The Banksy Story, told the BBC that, to him, the message behind the mural is clear.
“Nature’s struggling and it is up to us to help it grow back.”
The renowned artist’s latest work sparked interest and excitement across social media platforms, including from lawmaker and former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area of north London where the art appeared.
“Banksy has come to Islington! What wonderful artwork, proving there is hope for our natural world everywhere,” Corbyn said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
In December, artwork by Banksy showing three grey drones across a “STOP” traffic sign in south London was removed by an unidentified man in broad daylight as passersby looked on. Police later made arrests.
That fate seems unlikely for his latest piece, which stretches beyond the height of the fully grown tree and across several floors of a large building.
Already, hordes of art appreciators have flocked to the mural’s site on Hornsey Road in the area of Finsbury Park.
Wanja Sellers, a Hornsey Road resident, told the PA Media news agency that everyone in the neighbourhood is “so proud and delighted that Banksy chose our road and chose Finsbury Park for his work.”
“The bright green colours represent Islington, which is lovely, and also, of course, St Patrick’s Day, which is nice and festive,” she added. The Islington Council uses green in its official branding and St. Patrick’s Day falls on March 17, the day before the mural popped up.
“Choosing the colours of our borough just makes it feel like a personal message to us residents. We just feel so proud.”
Before the artist confirmed it was his piece of work, local politician Flora Williamson it would be “incredible” to have a Banksy artwork “right in the middle of social housing and one of the poorest parts of the borough,” the BBC reports.
“I think it adds intrigue and culture and brings the area to life,” she said.
Many Instagram users who commented on Banksy’s post of the new mural made jokes about a conspiracy theory that Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, is actually the elusive street artist, amid ongoing rumours about the Princess’s health.
“Ever noticed how Banksy and Kate Middleton are never pictured together?” one user joked.
— With files from Reuters
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