Banksy signature on London statue of man marching blinded by flag | Banksy

Banksy’s signature has appeared scrawled on the plinth of a large new sculpture in central London.

The elusive artist, known for his provocative graffiti works, has yet to confirm whether the statue is his. A study often posts an endorsement on its website shortly after it is discovered by the public.

The statue depicts a man walking forward from a pedestal while carrying a large, waving flag that obscures his face.

The statue is located on Waterloo Place in the St James area of ​​Westminster, near the statues of Edward VII and Florence Nightingale and the Crimea war memorial.

Although he is best known for his graffiti, Banksy has made sculptures before; Among these was the sculpture The Drinker, which he installed on Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s West End in 2004. This was a version of Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker and was removed shortly after it was erected.

Banksy’s last confirmed work in London took place in December, when he said he was behind a mural showing two children lying down and looking at the sky. This appeared to be a statement about homelessness, as the children appeared to point towards the Centrepoint Tower, which has long been a symbol of the homelessness crisis.

In September he painted a mural outside the Royal Courts of Justice showing a judge beating a helpless protester with a gavel. This was a period when many people were arrested for holding banners associated with the banned group Palestine Action. The artwork was later removed and the tribunal said it was legally obliged to preserve the character of the building due to its listed status.

News organization Reuters It was recently claimed The artist’s mask turned out to be Bristol-based Robin Gunningham, seemingly confirming the findings of a similar investigation carried out by the Daily Mail in 2008. Gunningham denied this.

Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, told Reuters that the artist “does not accept that many of the details in your investigation are accurate” and said it was critical that his identity be kept secret because he was “subject to persistent, threatening and extremist behaviour”.