New Banksy mural depicting tree foliage appears in north London

LONDON (Reuters) – A new artwork by British street artist Banksy has appeared in London, using green paint sprayed across the side of a building to mimic the foliage of a real, heavily pruned tree that stands a few metres in front of it.

A photo of the mural was posted on Banksy’s official Instagram account on Monday, where the artist usually claims responsibility for works of art to his more than 12 million followers.

When viewed from certain angles, the green paint lines up with the tree’s bare branches to represent its leaves. The work includes a stencil, typical of Banksy, of a person holding a spraying device, dripping in green paint.

The renowned street artist’s latest work sparked interest and excitement across social media platforms, including from lawmaker and former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area of north London where the art appeared.

“Banksy has come to Islington! What wonderful artwork, proving there is hope for our natural world everywhere,” Corbyn said in a post on X.

In December, artwork by Banksy showing three grey drones across a “STOP” traffic sign in south London was removed by an unidentified man in broad daylight as passersby looked on. Police later made arrests.

That fate looks unlikely for his latest piece, which stretches beyond the height of the fully grown tree and across several floors of a large building.

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by William James and Lucy Marks)