Banksy Confirms New Waterloo Place Statue via Instagram
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- Banksy erected a new statue in Waterloo Place, London, depicting a man whose face is hidden by a billowing flag, which was first spotted on Wednesday night.
- Banksy posted an Instagram video on Thursday confirming the statue was his work and showing it being towed at night alongside British symbols such as a Beefeater and a black cab.
- The statue is placed near the statues of Edward VII, Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War memorial in the St James’s area of Westminster.
- Banksy previously installed a statue called “The Drinker” on Shaftesbury Avenue in 2004, a take on Rodin’s The Thinker that was removed shortly after its erection.
- Reuters claimed to have identified Banksy as Bristol‑based Robin Gunningham, echoing a 2008 Mail on Sunday investigation, a claim Gunningham has denied.
- Mark Stephens, Banksy’s lawyer, told Reuters that the artist does not accept many details in the inquiry and that anonymity remains essential due to past threats.
Why it matters: The confirmation lets Banksy keep his anonymity, which he says is critical because he has faced fixated, threatening and extremist behaviour, while directly challenging Reuters’ unmasking claim that could undermine that protection and fuel further media scrutiny of his identity.
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