Is Banksy back? Mystery statue of man covered by a flag appears in London
April 30, 2026
The elusive artist confirmed the work on his own Instagram, sharing a video of the statues near his new installation before revealing the new work.
A new statue that appeared in central London yesterday has been confirmed as a Banksy piece.
The elusive artist confirmed the statue on his own Instagram , sharing a video of the statues near his new installation before revealing the new work.
The statue shows a man marching off the end of a plinth, holding a flag pole with the fabric of the flag covering his entire face.
Sitting next to the Crimean War Memorial in Waterloo Place, the installation appeared overnight.
Crowds have gathered around the art piece and snapped photos of the mysterious statue.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The new work comes after an investigation claimed to have unmasked the elusive artist, who hasn’t come forward publicly in three decades.
The street artist rose to prominence in the 1990s and is famous for his spray-painted murals with anti-authoritarian and anti-war messages, which have appeared at various sites around the world.
His distinctive graffiti and striking public artworks have captured global attention , but his personal life and identity remain shrouded in mystery.
The discussion around the artist’s identity has been reignited after an investigative report uncovered fresh claims about who the real Banksy is.
Former ‘public schoolboy’ Robin Gunningham was thrown into the spotlight again following fresh allegations he was the man New York police arrested in 2000 after reports someone had defaced a billboard on Hudson Street.
To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro's London news hub .
Reuters launched an investigation to track down Banksy’s true identity after his well-known stencil artwork was found on a building in Ukraine , prompting the outlet to find out how he was able to travel to the country to create his art.
One key piece of information suggests Gunningham is the true identity behind Banksy.
In September 2000, the New York Police Department arrested a man after he defaced a billboard atop a building on 675 Hudson Street, New York City.
Police documents show a handwritten note confessing to the incident, signed by Gunningham.
However, the name itself has long been speculated, after the report claimed Gunningham may have changed his legal name to David Jones in 2008.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk .
For more stories like this, check our news page .
MORE: Terror attack ‘highly likely’ after Golders Green stabbing suspect unmasked
MORE: Child terrorism warning after young neo-Nazi guilty of gun attack plot
MORE: Keir Starmer vows crackdown on pro-Palestine marches after being booed at Golders Green
Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy
Source: metro.co.uk