EXPERTS say secret codes hidden in Banksy’s new works could be clues to the artist’s mystery. plans for the future.
Once again, Banksy has sparked a new frenzy among fans, releasing a series of animal-themed artworks in London this week.
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With five plays in five days, experts think they’ve cracked the code, that the world’s most mysterious artist may be gearing up for a grand finale.
Street art sleuths are abuzz after Banksy’s latest mural – a pair of pelicans diving for fish above a fish and chip shop – appeared today.
The artwork, confirmed on Banksy’s Instagram, fueled speculation that the notoriously private artist could be planning his swan song.
Expert Jay Tomkins, 52, who runs the popular Banksy Locations Facebook group, believes the series of animal murals reveals a hidden pattern that could point to Banksy’s next move – or even his retirement.
He said, “It’s just my perspective, but numbers are definitely a factor in all of your recent work.”
With five murals – a gazelle, two elephants, three monkeys, a wolf and now two pelicans – Tomkins believes Banksy is playing a “waltz-like” game, each piece a step closer to what could be his final bow.
He mused: “Could this be Banksy’s last waltz”, suggesting that the artist, who is said to have turned 50 this year, could be marking the occasion with an enigmatic farewell.
As fans eagerly await his next move, Tomkins added: “If the rumors are true, we could see a mural of three animals tomorrow.”
The theory sent shockwaves through the art world, with some speculating that Banksy’s latest works are not just random acts of creativity, but part of a meticulously planned sequence.
The pelican mural, like the four previous ones, bears all the hallmarks of a classic Banksy – sharp humor, clever placement and that unmistakable touch of mystery.
Artist Daniel Lloyd-Morgan, speaking on the pelican mural scene, offered another view.
He said: “I suspect the article is related to the planned riots in Walthamstow earlier this week. Banksy loves to create mystery and his work often has multiple meanings.”
Meanwhile, chaos erupted earlier this week when Banksy’s wolf mural, painted on a satellite dish in Peckham, was stolen just hours after it was confirmed to be authentic.
Yobs were caught removing the plate, leaving fans wondering if the theft was part of Banksy’s plan or simply an opportunistic loot.
One Instagram user, Adelahan, suggested that the robbery may have been orchestrated by Banksy himself.
He wrote: “The robbery was foreseen. They wanted them to do it; It’s part of the exhibition.”
And it’s not the only drama plaguing Banksy’s latest work.
His elephant mural, confirmed on Tuesday, was vandalized the same day, with gray paint smeared over one of the silhouettes.
The incident only added to the growing sense of intrigue surrounding this week’s artwork.
Banksy has always been a master of mystery, and this latest flurry of activity has once again captured the public’s imagination.
He could be criticizing the state of the world, as some fans believe, or perhaps this is a prelude to a grand final masterpiece.
Banksy expert Paul Gough, professor at Arts University Bournemouth, thinks the artist is building something big.
He told Metro: “Banksy is working towards a big reveal or a big piece in the next few days.
“The question is how long he can sustain this, both on a creative level and to maintain public interest.”
Whatever the answer, Banksy’s recent work has once again demonstrated his unparalleled ability to keep the world guessing.
Whether it’s his latest spray or just another chapter in his elusive career, one thing is for sure: Banksy has us dancing to his music.
As we await what comes next, Londoners are left wondering: are we witnessing the final days of Banksy’s reign as the king of street art, or is this just the beginning of his next big stunt.
Only time, and perhaps one more mural, will tell.
Meanwhile, this isn’t the first time his work has caused quite a stir.
Controversy seems to follow his work, as not long ago the artist faced a furious backlash after launching a small boat with fictional migrants into the crowd at Glastonbury in his latest stunt.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy was first noticed for spray-painting trains and walls in his hometown of Bristol in the early 1990s.
Street art and graffiti can be considered criminal damage, so it is thought that the artist remained anonymous to avoid problems with the law.
At first his pieces were created mainly in Bristol, but in the 2000s his works began to appear across the UK and other parts of the world.
Banksy chose to use stencils to create his pieces, probably because it was a quicker way to paint.
He was influenced in his early days by a French graffiti artist named Blek le Rat.
Blek le Rat is considered the father of stencil graffiti and people sometimes confuse the two artists’ work.
Banksy doesn’t just make street art – he has produced drawings, paintings and installations.
The anonymous artist no longer sells photographs or reproductions of his street graffiti.
But his public “installations” are regularly resold, often even removing the wall on which they were painted.
He also created his own theme park called Dismaland.
Banksy left his memorable mark across the world, but was most prolific in the UK.
The guerrilla artist is known for having created more than 120 works over three decades.
- In 2002, There is Always Hope – possibly the artist’s most famous work – appeared on London’s South Bank.
- Devolved Parliament, Banksy’s 13ft-wide painting of chimpanzees in the House of Commons, made headlines in October 2019 when it sold at auction for £9.9 million.
- Government spy phone box GCHQ was created in April 2014. The piece in Cheltenham shows three men wearing sunglasses and listening devices to snoop around a phone box.
- In May 2020, Banksy revealed a new Game Changer artwork, which was painted on the wall of a ward at Southampton General Hospital in Hampshire.
- On July 14, 2020, Banksy returned to the London Underground with a work encouraging people to wear masks. The work, called If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get, features a series of mice in pandemic-inspired poses, wearing face masks – but has been removed by cleaning products.
- In October 2020, a Banksy mural appeared on the side of a building on Rothesay Avenue in Nottingham. The artwork shows a girl hula hooping with a bicycle tire. The mural was removed and sold to an Essex art gallery, disappointing local people who had hoped it would remain in the town.
- In December 2020, a Covid-inspired Banksy mural showing a woman sneezing through her dentures on the side of a semi-detached house appeared on the side of a house in Bristol.
- In March 2020, Banksy confirmed that an image showing a prisoner escaping from a former Reading prison with a typewriter at the bottom of a “rope” made from strung together sheets of paper was one of his works.
- In November 2022, Banksy made his mark in Ukraine by unveiling a painting of a gymnast on the side of a building bombed by Russia.
- In February 2023, a new Banksy piece was confirmed after artwork showing an injured woman pushing a man into a freezer appeared on the side of a building in Margate, Kent. The image showed a 1950s housewife in an apron and dishwashing gloves. a closer look revealed that the woman had a swollen eye and was missing a tooth. The artwork also incorporated a freezer – believed to have been purposely placed against the wall – and a man’s legs sticking out as she closes the lid on it.
- In December 2023, a new Banksy artwork was removed from a south London street less than an hour after it was confirmed to be a genuine installation. The artist confirmed that the artwork — a road sign covered in three aircraft said to resemble military drones — was his in a social media post shortly after noon.
- In March 2024, a new Banksy tree mural was painted on the side of a house in London. However, two days later, images showed two stripes of white paint covering the green artwork.
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