Artwork: Stencil work by Banksy, Richmond, London, 2024

Banksy is back with a series of stencil works around London, the first is a mountain gazelle on a wall in Richmond, near the Thames River and Kew Bridge. It’s a black silhouette of a mountain gazelle, and many have noted it is the national animal of Palestine, and is also an endangered species. Simple, powerful and direct. However I’ve also come across Banksy’s “team” at his support organisation Pest Control Office, posting comments that the works are meant to provide amusement and emphasise the “human capacity for creative play” in opposition to destruction and negativity. Other animals to crop up have been monkeys, pelicans, a howling wolf and two elephants, a veritable menagerie. What I’ve always liked about Banksy is allowing the images to speak for themselves, with literally no discourse around the work’s creation. Make of them what you will!