The Return of Banksy: London Urban Zoo

Discover the anonymous artist Banksy's newest series in London!

The elusive and anonymous artist known as Banksy, has drawn the public's attention once again with his series of new murals scattered throughout the UK. This time the murals feature animals and continue a long-standing Banksy tradition of using art as a way to make bold statements on political and social issues.

Over the course of a week, eight new murals popped up along popular streets in London. The animals could depict a range of things, but it is not exactly clear; as always with Banksy’s work it is open to interpretation and allows viewers to draw their own conclusions about the message behind these artworks.

The first to appear was a mountain goat in Kew Bridge, Richmond on Monday. One day later, two elephants leaning out adjacent windows with their trunks stretching towards each other appeared. By Wednesday, monkeys were seen swinging along the bridge of a rail station in East London.

On Thursday, a howling wolf painted on a satellite dish in Peckham; but was stolen by masked thieves within hours of its unveiling. By Friday Banksy had revealed a fifth mural on top of Bonners Fish Bar which shows two pelicans eating fish.

The series continued through the next Tuesday with three more animal murals discovered on the streets, making a total of eight drawings in this series.

As we said, the meaning behind the murals is unknown but it sure has sparked a lot of public debate, with each viewer offering their own interpretation. What do you think of this new series?

One thing we know is for sure, that there is more “summer fun” coming as Banksy revealed on his social media.

Could you be the next Banksy? Check out these resources on Domestika:
Online Street Art Courses, by Domestika
The Banksy Case: How Can Anonymous Artists Legally Protect Their Work?, an article by Denise Tempone
Exploring Banksy’s 10 Most Iconic Artworks, an article by Patricia Iliuc