Banksy's Most Iconic Murals

Banksy, the anonymous British street artist, is renowned for his controversial and thought-provoking stencilled murals. His works often carry powerful political and social messages, blending humour and satire with stark, impactful imagery. Here are some of Banksy’s most well-know wall murals:

Love Is In The Air, 2003

In the backdrop of the Israel-Palestine Conflict, Love Is In The Air plays with iconographies of resistance, depicting a masked man tossing a bouquet of flowers towards the West Bank Wall. In 2003, it made its debut in Jerusalem.

Finsbury Park Tree, 2024

Placed behind a severely pared tree, it features a life size woman holding a pressure washer, having sprayed green paint all over the wall. When viewed with the tree in the foreground, the green ink mimics its leaves. It serves as a reminder to spectators of the ongoing struggle faced by the natural world as a result of human impact, much like Banksy's previous environmental artwork. The mural was defaced just 3 days after its unveiling.

Create Escape, 2021

Create Escape, which surfaced overnight on the walls of Reading Prison, is a component of Banksy's ambition to transform the abandoned into an arts and cultural hub. Oscar Wilde was previously imprisoned for "gross indecency" at Reading Prison after his association with Alfred Lord Douglas. The artwork is there, however, it has been vandalised by further graffiti that alludes to the past conflict between Banksy and the late graffiti artist King Robbo.

Falling Shopper, 2011

There is discussion on whether Falling Shopper, a mural by Banksy, is his best preserved piece of wall art in London because of its location in a more opulent area than the street artist typically chooses, or because of its remarkable height up the side of the building. In either case, Banksy's artwork's ascent to the level of a sought-after item and the constant fall of the person and shopping trolley serve as a powerful critique of the consumerist lifestyle that this affluent neighbourhood embodies.

Girl With Balloon, 2002

Girl With Balloon debuted as an in situ stencil painting in 2002 and was selected as the "nation's favourite artwork" in 2017. The famous piece, which was painted on a wall beneath Waterloo Bridge in London's Southbank, served as the inspiration for Banksy's well-known art prank, Love Is In The Bin. There are still no remnants of the original Banksy artwork on Waterloo Bridge or of Girl With Balloon's subsequent London appearances.

Choose Your Weapon, 2010

Choose Your Weapon, one of Banksy's most notable pieces, debuted on The Grange Pub's walls in Bermondsey, South East London. Since then, it has been featured in several of the artist's original prints that were distributed by the now-closed print company Pictures On Walls. One of Banksy's remaining murals in London, it is mainly obscured by a severely fly-posted and graffitied protective Perspex.

Yellow Lines, 2007

Bethnal Green is home to Yellow Lines Flower Painter, which was created in 2007. This piece depicts a painter in dungarees, painting yellow lines on the sidewalk. He is taking a break after painting double yellow lines that combine to form a giant yellow flower on a wall. The artwork is located on the side of a working man's club near the intersection of Pollard Row and Pollard Street.

I Don’t Believe In Global Warming, 2009

This piece, which was painted near London's Regent's Canal, aimed to raise awareness of the global catastrophe and the ostensible failure of the UN climate summit in Copenhagen the same year.

Ukraine, 2022

Banksy started painting murals in Ukraine in late 2022 with the intention of raising awareness and encouraging support for the country's war against Russia. These, which span from Kyiv to Borodyanka, show Banksy's compassion for the Ukrainian people by frequently showing the "underdog" triumphing against a seemingly strong foe.

Anti-Brexit, 2017

This piece, was Banksy's first response to the results of the UK's 2016 EU Referendum, shows a man removing one of the EU flag's twelve stars. The artwork was taken down after it was placed in the leave-voting town of Dover, which was a hotspot for major customs delays following Brexit.

To view our collection of works by Banksy, visit their artist page and feel free to get in touch for more details