Banksy has confirmed he is behind a new statue in central London, revealing the piece as a pointed critique of nationalism. The sculpture, which features a walking man blinded by a flag, appeared this week in Waterloo Place—and it’s a statue widely interpreted as a statement on blind patriotism and jingoism.
Per the BBC, the work quickly drew attention after crowds gathered to photograph it, but any lingering doubt about its origins was settled when Banksy claimed it as his own.
Installed among traditional monuments near St James’s, including statues of Edward VII and Florence Nightingale, the piece places Banksy’s signature anti-establishment tone directly within one of London’s most historically symbolic spaces.
The statue continues a run of high-profile works across the capital. In recent months, Banksy has used London as a canvas for politically charged imagery, including a mural at the Royal Courts of Justice depicting a judge looming over a protester.
His 2024 “animal trail” also turned the city into a sprawling exhibition, with pieces featuring goats, elephants, monkeys, and other animals appearing across multiple neighborhoods.
While the artist has not issued an extended statement about the statue, the imagery aligns with themes he has explored throughout his career. In past interviews and writings, Banksy has emphasized the power of anonymity and the role of art in challenging authority, once noting that working under a pseudonym allows creators to “speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution,” as his lawyer Mark Stephens reiterated in response to recent reporting about the artist’s identity.
The claims were met with resistance from Banksy’s camp, with Stephens stating the artist “does not accept that many of the details” in the investigation were accurate, while his official organization declined to comment further.
