Banksy's newest mural in Finsbury Park, London

A crowd has gathered in an unlikely place in London, drawn by the attraction of a new mural painted by the mysterious street artist Banksy The mural was painted on a residential building in Islington, north London, on Sunday night (17/03/2024). On Monday (18/03/2024), the anonymous artist confirmed it was his.

The mural is painted on the wall behind a clipped tree, creating the illusion of foliage. The green paint is applied to the side of a building on the corner of Hornsey Road, and at the bottom is a life-sized stencil of a man holding a sprayer. Many people believe the mural has a message about the environment.

After a storm of speculation, the anonymous artist confirmed on Instagram that he was behind the piece, posting before and after photos of the wall. Footfall spiked dramatically in the area as locals and tourists streamed in to snap photos and selfies of the renowned graffiti artist’s latest creation.

Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area in Parliament, said the work:

“It makes people stop and think; Hang on. We live in one world. We live in one environment. It is vulnerable and on the cusp of serious damage being done to it."

“Environmental politics is about densely populated urban areas like this, just as much as it is about farmland and woodland and hedges,” he added.

Image via MyLondon

Before this mural, Banksy’s last confirmed piece was back in December, when he painted military drones on a stop sign in south London. The drones resembled the U.S.-made MQ-1 Predator, and though the artist never explained the piece, it was widely interpreted as a call for a cease-fire in Israel’s war on Gaza.

The work was removed in less than an hour, with photos and videos showing it was taken down by a person with bolt cutters, aided by an accomplice. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.