A new statue possibly by Banksy appeared in the middle of the night in central London this week, and by Thursday it was drawing crowds, barriers and a fresh round of speculation about one of Britain’s most elusive artists. The work shows a suited man, blinded by the wind-blown flag he is carrying, walking unknowingly off the edge of a tall pedestal.
Banksy’s signature was visible on the base of the plinth when the sun came up on Wednesday morning, and his Instagram account posted a video on Thursday that seemed to confirm he was behind it. The post included footage of the statue going up and cuts to London landmarks and symbols, among them Big Ben, a statue of Winston Churchill, a black cab and a guardsman soldier.
Philip Mould, the art dealer and historian, said the piece was well matched to its setting. “Personally, I think what’s rather clever about it is he’s got the proportions perfectly right for the space,” he said, adding that he likes it when art “can be controversial” and “can be stimulating in this way.” He also speculated that the statue is made of fiberglass.
The setting matters. The statue’s height and finish are similar to the other monuments in Waterloo Place, where it stands among statues of King Edward VII, Florence Nightingale, the Crimean War Memorial and several other figures tied to military history, dukes and lords. That makes the new arrival feel both at home and at odds with its neighbors, a typical Banksy move in a city that has spent decades learning to expect disruption from him.
On Thursday, authorities put safety barriers around the statue as onlookers gathered. As of May 1, it was still standing, and London authorities said they do not plan to remove it. A representative for Mayor Sadiq Khan said Banksy has a strong ability to inspire people from different backgrounds to enjoy modern art, and that his work always draws strong interest and debate. The mayor is hopeful the latest piece can be preserved for Londoners and visitors to enjoy.
That response is notable because recent Banksy works have not always been treated so gently. In September 2025, he painted a mural on the Royal Courts of Justice showing a judge bludgeoning a protester with a gavel, and authorities quickly destroyed it. He has also used sculpture before, though rarely: in 2004 he installed The Drinker in London, a satire of Rodin’s The Thinker that showed a man sitting in a similar pose with a traffic cone on his head. Better known for murals, including the Girl with Balloon series that began in London in 2002, Banksy has usually worked in images that can vanish as quickly as they appear.
That is what gives the Waterloo Place statue its edge. If it is Banksy’s, it is not only a new work but a test of how far London will go in leaving public art in place when the joke, the provocation and the crowd have all arrived at once. For now, the city appears willing to let the figure stand — and let people decide whether the man walking off the pedestal is a warning, a punchline or both.