Banksy, in a post on Instagram, confirmed that the new mural in west London, depicting two children lying down looking at the sky, is his.
A second identical artwork appeared outside the Centre Point tower in central London on Friday 19.12.
Banksy and his representatives have not confirmed that it is his, although the “BBC” claims that it is.
(fyiteam)
Banksy does not usually explain his works, and his Instagram posts featuring his new murals do not even include captions.
Art experts argue that this particular work addresses the issue of child homelessness.
There is even a view that the artwork depicts the same child as in one of his 2018 pieces in Port Talbot, although Banksy has not used recurring characters in the past.
No one knows the artist’s real identity, as he has never revealed either his face or his name, making anonymity part of his art.
Moreover, graffiti (without permission) remains illegal.
In a 2003 interview with the “Guardian,” he was described as a white man, 28 years old, wearing scruffy casual jeans and a T-shirt, with a silver tooth, a silver chain, and a silver earring.
“The Mail” first wrote in 2008 that he is Robin Gunningham, and in 2016 researchers said it might be true, examining his movements and the locations of his artworks.
Banksy denies it, but if you google “Robin Gunningham,” the first result is Banksy’s Wikipedia page.
The second (and our favorite) theory is that he is 3D from Massive Attack, since — quite coincidentally (at least for a period) — a Banksy mural would pop up in areas where they were performing concerts.
(fyiteam)
In Banksy’s case, despite the mystery surrounding his identity, his political positions are clear in his art.
They are, among other things, anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-police, and pro-Palestinian, and they appear in his works in London, in other cities in England, and around the world.
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Beyond being a street artist, Banksy is also a political activist, having traveled to Palestine multiple times and created nine (political) works on the West Bank wall.
In August 2020, Banksy donated a boat for the rescue of refugees in the Mediterranean.
At the same time, he funds various causes he wants to support by auctioning off his artworks.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Banksy painted a moving artwork outside Southampton General Hospital, depicting a child playing with a nurse doll, while dolls of well-known superheroes lay discarded in a trash bin beside it.
Above it was a message: “Thank you for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it’s only black and white.”
Banksy auctioned the artwork in 2021; it sold for £16,758,000, and the proceeds were donated to the hospital.
Oh, yes.
His first film, “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2010.
The documentary tells the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles who is “obsessed” with street art, and follows his journey from meeting artists such as Banksy and other graffiti writers to establishing himself as Mr. Brainwash.
Screenings of the film in the US were accompanied by his artworks appearing on walls in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and elsewhere.
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Banksy has sold 127 artworks worth over $100,000 at various auctions since 2021.
That number is higher than that of any other artist (living or dead), including Pablo Picasso (76), Andy Warhol (84), Kaws (21), and Jean-Michel Basquiat (17).
