The elusive street artist Banksy has confirmed he is the creator of a large statue that appeared on a plinth in London’s Waterloo Place on Wednesday, per bbc.com.
The sculpture, which the artist verified via Instagram on Thursday afternoon, depicts a suited figure walking off a plinth with a flag draped over his face, obscuring his vision.
The work was covertly installed in the early hours of Wednesday in St James’s, an area historically designed to celebrate British imperialism. Situated near the Crimean War Memorial and statues of Edward VII and Florence Nightingale, the piece sits directly in front of the Athenaeum Club’s gilded statue of Athena.
Art commentators have described the placement as a “knockout” critique of nationalism and power. James Peak, creator of *The Banksy Story* podcast, noted that the figure appears “bumptious” yet blind to his surroundings, teetering on the edge of the plinth. He questioned how the artist managed to bypass high-level security to deliver a large resin statue via a low-loader in central London.
Contractors began erecting safety barriers around the installation on Thursday. The work is the latest in a series of high-profile London interventions by the artist. Recent works include a mural in Bayswater and a 2024 “animal trail” across the capital featuring various wildlife silhouettes.
While Banksy’s identity remains unconfirmed, his pieces frequently serve as political statements. Historically, his physical sculptures in London have faced brief lifespans; a 2004 installation titled *The Drinker* was stolen shortly after its debut on Shaftesbury Avenue.
The installation continues Banksy’s long-standing practice of “subversive site-specificity,” where the meaning of the artwork is derived from its proximity to established symbols of state authority and historical prestige.
•Featured image: The statue appeared on a plinth in Waterloo Place on Wednesday/Getty Images
