Banksy once again captured London’s attention with the appearance of two identical murals just days before Christmas. Created using his signature stencil technique, the works show two children lying on the ground. They are wrapped up in winter clothes, hats and wellington boots, while one of them points up at the sky.
The first mural appeared on 20 December next to the Centre Point tower, near Tottenham Court Road. Shortly afterwards, a second version emerged in Queen’s Mews, in the Bayswater area, painted on a row of garages.
Banksy confirmed this latter piece on his Instagram account on 22 December. In the images, the mural appears next to an overflowing skip. The child’s finger lines up with a red light from a nearby crane, creating the illusion of the Star of Bethlehem.
A message about homeless children
Experts and fans of street art have interpreted these works as a reflection on the lack of housing for children during winter. The choice of Centre Point strengthens that reading. The building once symbolised protests for the right to housing and gave its name to the charity Centrepoint, which supports homeless young people.
These pieces arrive after a year marked by more openly political messages from the artist. In September, Banksy painted a mural outside the Royal Courts of Justice showing a judge striking a protester with a gavel. Authorities removed the work shortly afterwards, and many saw it as a criticism of the British government and its stance towards activist groups.
Once again, the artist shows his ability to transform public space with simple yet meaningful images. With these murals, Banksy invites the city to look up and to think about those who face the winter in more difficult circumstances.
Sigue toda la información de HIGHXTAR desde Facebook, Twitter o Instagram
You may also like...
