A new, unsigned artwork believed to be by the elusive street artist Banksy has appeared in the heart of London. The piece features two individuals lying on the pavement, their gaze fixed upwards at the towering Centre Point building near Tottenham Court Road.
The Scene on the Street
The stencil work shows a child wearing a beanie hat and Wellington boots lying next to another person in a bobble hat, who is pointing towards the skyscraper and the sky above. It materialised overnight at the base of the prominent Centre Point tower. A second, identical version of the artwork was also discovered painted on the side of a building in Queen's Mews, Bayswater, just a few miles away, confirming the deliberate dual placement.
A History of Provocative Statements
This is not the first time Banksy has used London's architecture for political commentary in recent months. In September, a mural showing a judge striking a prone protester with a gavel appeared on the Royal Courts of Justice. That piece was swiftly covered up by officials following security patrols. Its emergence came shortly after the arrest of almost 900 people at a demonstration supporting the banned group Palestine Action, which was described as Britain's largest ever mass arrest. Police condemned the "intolerable" abuse officers faced during that rally.
Other recent Banksy works include a piece in Marseille, France, discovered in May, which featured the poignant phrase "I want you to be what you saw in me." Last August, the artist launched a series of nine animal-themed murals across London, culminating in a final image of a gorilla opening London Zoo's shutters.
The Enduring Banksy Enigma
Banksy, whose career spans over 25 years, is famous for high-profile stunts. These include secretly installing work in Tate Britain in 2003 and the infamous 2018 shredding of "Girl With Balloon" moments after it sold at a Sotheby's auction. While his works command hundreds of thousands of pounds, his identity remains officially unconfirmed, despite a 2008 investigation by The Mail on Sunday which named Bristol's Robin Gunningham as the likely artist.
The appearance of this new, contemplative piece continues Banksy's tradition of using public space to spark conversation, leaving Londoners and art enthusiasts to decipher its meaning against the backdrop of the city's ever-changing landscape.
