Banksy unveils new artwork inspired by George Floyd’s death, speaks out on racism

The anonymous street artist Banksy has unveiled a new artwork inspired by the death of George Floyd which has rejuvenated Black Lives Matter protests. The artwork, shared on his official Instagram page, shows a vigil candle burning American flag signifying the ongoing civil unrest and a major churning across the country.

Banksy also opened about the ongoing protests and racial discrimination deeply rooted in societies across the world. The artist wrote that at first, he thought it would be better to not speak and listen to black people about the issue. However, he realised that it’s not their problem. He said that people of colour are being failed by the “white system”

“Like a broken pipe flooding the apartment of the people living downstairs. This faulty system is making their life a misery, but it's not their job to fix it,” wrote Banksy.

“They can't - no-one will let them in the apartment upstairs. This is a white problem. And if white people don't fix it, someone will have to come upstairs and kick the door in,” he added.

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Known for satirical art

Banksy, known for his satirical street art combined with dark humour, uses graffiti to display his work at publicly visible places. He also made a documentary film ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ which got nominated for Academy Award for Best Documentary film in 2011. “This is a big surprise... I don't agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I'm prepared to make an exception for the ones I'm nominated for,” Banksy had said after the nomination.

Last year, Banksy’s artwork of a Devolved Parliament depicting the members as Chimpanzees was sold at the auction for over £9.8 million. The bidding battle for the monumental painting, which was created in 2009, lasted for almost 13 minutes. The auction was held at Sotheby’s in London where Banksy’s “Girl With Balloon” work was sold in 2018 before it got partially shredded.

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