Secretive artist Banksy has confirmed that he was the creator of a new work that appeared in north London, England yesterday.
There was speculation he was behind the work ever since pictures emerged yesterday of the piece in Finsbury Park, which has green paint sprayed on a white wall, which is behind a tree that has been heavily cut back and is made to look like foliage – which is conspicuous by its absence on the tree. There is also a stencil of a person holding a pressure hose.
The colour of the paint is the same shade as that used by the local Islington Council, which were presumably behind the harsh pruning of the tree.
As usual, Banksy confirmed it was his work by posting on social media. On his Instagram feed (@banksy) this morning – which is followed by 12.3 million people – he uploaded before and after images of the work, although with no caption.
Once pictures began circulating of the work, crowds rushed to see the work in person – and more will come now it has been confirmed to be his work.
Some have speculated online he has used the tree, along with such a large portion of wall, to help prevent the recent trend of people stealing his artworks as soon as they have been confirmed to be his work. For instance, in December 2023, a stop sign with three military drones on it was taken mere hours after Banksy had posted that it was his.
Despite his work being known for more than 20 years now, Banksy has always managed to keep his identity a secret. It is thought he is from the Bristol area, but little else is officially known about him. His works have become world famous, and original artwork by him can sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds – hence why they have become a target for thieves in recent times.
