Banksy Confirms New London Statue of Flag-Blinded Man Stepping Off Pedestal

Key facts

• The statue appeared on Waterloo Place in central London on April 29, 2026.
• Banksy confirmed the work on Instagram on April 30, posting a video of its installation.
• The fiberglass statue depicts a suited man blinded by a wind-blown flag, stepping off a pedestal.
• London authorities placed safety barriers around the statue on May 1 and said they do not plan to remove it.
• A representative for Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed hope the piece could be preserved for the public.
• The installation follows a Reuters investigation in March 2026 that aimed to reveal Banksy's identity.
• In September 2025, Banksy's mural at the Royal Courts of Justice was destroyed by authorities.

A Statue Appears Overnight in Central London

A new statue, widely attributed to the street artist Banksy, was erected under cover of darkness this week on Waterloo Place in central London. The work depicts a suited man whose face is obscured by a large flag he carries, as he steps forward half off the pedestal, apparently unaware of the drop. By Wednesday morning, passersby had spotted Banksy's signature scrawled along the base of the plinth. On Thursday, the artist's Instagram account posted a video confirming his involvement, showing the statue being hoisted into place by a crane, interspersed with shots of London landmarks including Big Ben, a statue of Winston Churchill, a black cab and a guardsman. The statue stands on a plaza-like road lined with bronze and granite monuments, including the Duke of York Column, the Guards Crimean War memorial, and statues of Florence Nightingale and Lord Lea. Its colour and finish were chosen to blend with its surroundings.

Officials Signal They Will Let the Work Stay

As crowds gathered on Thursday, authorities placed safety barriers around the statue. By May 1, the installation remained in place, and London officials said they had no plans to remove it. A representative from the office of Mayor Sadiq Khan told the New York Times that the mayor hopes the piece can be preserved for Londoners and visitors to enjoy. “Banksy has a great ability to inspire people from a range of backgrounds to enjoy modern art,” the representative said in an email. “His work always draws great interest and debate.” The decision marks a contrast with the fate of some previous Banksy works. In September 2025, a mural on the Royal Courts of Justice depicting a judge bludgeoning a protester with a gavel was swiftly destroyed by the HM Courts and Tribunals Service.

A Rare Medium for the Artist

Statues are a relatively rare medium for Banksy, who is best known for his murals, such as the Girl with Balloon series that debuted in London in 2002. His only previous known statue in London was The Drinker, installed in 2004, a satire of Rodin's The Thinker featuring a man in a similar pose but wearing a traffic cone on his head. Art dealer Philip Mould, whose gallery is near the statue, speculated that the new work is made of fiberglass. In an Instagram video, he praised its proportions: “Personally, I think what’s rather clever about it is he’s got the proportions perfectly right for the space.” He added, “I also rather like it when art, which is often forgotten, can be controversial, can be stimulating in this way.”

A Growing Presence in London

The statue is the latest in a series of public art installations by Banksy in the UK capital over the past two years. In summer 2024, a series of stencilled animal silhouettes appeared across the city and on a London Zoo building. Days before Christmas 2025, he unveiled two identical black-and-white murals of children lying on their backs, gazing up, widely interpreted as a statement on child homelessness. Banksy's identity has been the subject of intense speculation. In March 2026, a Reuters investigation aimed to reveal his true identity, but the artist declined to confirm or deny the findings.

Fans Race to See the Work Before It Disappears

Given the often limited public lifespan of Banksy's works, fans have been quick to visit the statue. Ollie Isaac, a 23-year-old student observing the piece in Waterloo Place, told the BBC: “With Banksy, it’s a limited time event because it’s public art—you don't know how long it’s going to be up.” The statue remains in place as of May 1, but its future is uncertain. The Art Newspaper contacted Banksy for comment but received no response. The artist's Instagram post, shared with his 13.8 million followers, did not indicate any plans for the work's removal or preservation.

A Provocative Statement in a Historic Setting

Waterloo Place, located in the St James's neighbourhood, is home to gentlemen's clubs, art galleries and luxury businesses, and sits close to the government buildings and foreign embassies of Westminster. The statue's imagery — a man blinded by a flag, stepping into the void — has invited multiple interpretations, though Banksy has not offered any explanation. The work's placement among statues of monarchs, military leaders and national icons adds a layer of commentary. Mould noted the cleverness of the proportions, but the piece's deeper meaning remains open to debate. For now, the statue stands as a temporary monument to the artist's enduring ability to provoke and engage.

The bottom line

• Banksy confirmed a new statue in London via Instagram on April 30, showing a man blinded by a flag stepping off a pedestal.
• The work was installed overnight on April 29 on Waterloo Place, among existing monuments to military and royal figures.
• London officials have not removed the statue and Mayor Sadiq Khan's office expressed hope it could be preserved.
• Statues are a rare medium for Banksy; his only previous London statue was The Drinker in 2004.
• The installation follows a Reuters investigation into Banksy's identity published in March 2026.
• Past Banksy works in London, such as the September 2025 mural at the Royal Courts of Justice, have been quickly destroyed by authorities.