A new Banksy? Locals suspect tree mural which appeared overnight on the side of a building in north London could be the latest offering by the elusive street artist
- Did you see how the mural was painted? email: cameron.roy@mailonline.co.uk
A suspicious artwork by Banksy appeared on the side of a building near Finsbury Park in London last night.
The artwork features a splash of green painted behind a bare tree to resemble foliage, alongside a stencil of a person holding what appears to be a pressure hose.
The artwork has already taken Banksy fans to the location on Hornsey Road in North London, where they are inspecting it to see if it could be real.
James Peak, creator of the BBC Radio 4 series The Banksy Story, rushed to the scene after receiving a tip-off.
He told the BBC: ‘I think it looks like a dead certificate.
A suspicious artwork by Banksy appeared on the side of a building near Finsbury Park in London last night
The artwork features a splash of green painted behind a bare tree to resemble foliage, alongside a stencil of a person holding what appears to be a pressure hose.
The artwork has already taken Banksy fans to the location on Hornsey Road in North London, where they are inspecting it to see if it could be real.
The bare wall pictured in March 2023
‘But as always with Banksy, you never really know until he admits it by posting it on his website.’
Banksy fans are keeping a close eye on the secretive artist’s social media channels to see if the painting of Finsbury Park, which appeared on Sunday, is confirmed.
Mr Peak said the artwork had the hallmarks of a Banksy because of its clear message that nature is in trouble and it is up to us to get it back.
He said another clue was that it was done with minimal effort, but still looked really cool.
Banksy’s eye for detail could also be on display as the paint color matches that of Islington Council’s street signs.
The lack of leaves, despite it being spring, could also have inspired Banksy to create the painting.
The bare wall pictured in July 2022 shows the tree with many more green leaves
Banksy’s eye for detail could also be on display as the paint color matches that of Islington Council’s street signs
Flora Williamson, local Labor councilor for Islington, wrote on Twitter/X: ‘By far the most exciting thing to happen on Hornsey Road during today’s election session was that Banksy came to Tollington that night.
‘A lot of local interest, I’m a fan of it.’
Area resident Amy wrote on Twitter: ‘Proud new caretakers of an apparently new #Banksy piece in Finsbury Park… Woke up to it this morning on the side of a flat. You can almost see us smiling proudly on our balcony.’
One local joked on social media: ‘Banksy came overnight and now my rent will skyrocket.’
Paul Drinot wrote on social media: ‘If this is Banksy this is the best thing to happen to Hornsey Road in years.’