Londoners awoke on Monday, December 22, 2025, to the unveiling of striking new street art by Banksy, the elusive British artist whose works have become synonymous with sharp social commentary and urban intrigue. This time, not one but two nearly identical murals appeared in different corners of the city, sparking immediate fascination, debate, and a flurry of speculation about their meaning and authorship.
The first mural, officially confirmed by Banksy on his Instagram account and website, graces the side of a building on Queen’s Mews in Bayswater, a quiet enclave not far from the bustling expanse of Kensington Palace. Rendered in Banksy’s signature black-and-white stencil style, the mural depicts two children, bundled up in winter hats and wellington boots, lying on their backs and gazing upward. One child’s outstretched arm points to the sky—a gesture open to interpretation, but unmistakably evocative. The scene is at once innocent and deeply poignant, capturing a sense of wonder tinged with longing.
Almost simultaneously, a virtually identical mural was discovered a few miles away at the foot of the Centre Point tower, near Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street—a historic and controversial landmark in the heart of central London. This second artwork, though not officially claimed by Banksy as of December 23, bears all the hallmarks of his style and timing. According to USA Today, the second mural’s presence prompted immediate speculation, with passersby and art enthusiasts debating its authenticity and intent.
Both murals appeared just days before Christmas, coinciding with the winter solstice on December 21. The timing is no accident, say art experts and social commentators. Banksy has a well-documented tradition of releasing Christmas-themed works that double as social critique. In 2019, for example, he created a mural in Birmingham showing reindeer pulling a bench used by homeless people—transforming an everyday scene into a subtle but powerful commentary on homelessness during the holiday season. That same year, "The Scar of Bethlehem" appeared in the West Bank, depicting a nativity scene marked by violence and conflict.
This year’s murals, however, strike a particularly resonant chord in a city grappling with a persistent housing crisis. The Centre Point tower, where the second mural appeared, has long been a symbol of London’s complex relationship with wealth, property, and homelessness. Built in 1966 as a hub for luxury offices, the tower stood largely empty for years, even as homelessness soared in the surrounding streets. In 2015, it was converted into high-end residential apartments, but the building has continued to struggle to attract buyers and remains, by many accounts, under-occupied.
"The Centre Point site carries particular significance as the tower became a focal point for housing protests in the 1970s when it sat empty while people experienced homelessness on nearby streets," noted The Guardian. Today, the contrast is even starker. While the luxury apartments of Centre Point remain mostly uninhabited, an estimated 102,000 unhoused children are currently living in temporary accommodations across London, according to recent reports cited by Enstarz.
The imagery of the children—lying on their backs, gazing at the sky—has sparked a range of interpretations. Some observers, as reported by Art News, see the children as stargazing, perhaps looking for the Star of David or the heavens. Others suggest a more cynical reading: the children, possibly homeless, are lying on cold pavement, staring up at the empty luxury apartments that tower above them, a silent indictment of the city’s deepening inequalities.
Jasper Tordoff, a Banksy specialist quoted by Artnet, drew parallels between the children’s outstretched arm and the artist’s iconic "Girl with a Balloon"—a motif that has come to symbolize hope in the face of adversity. "The outstretched arm and pointing gesture echo the artist's famous 'Girl with a Balloon' and may reference the Star of Bethlehem," Tordoff suggested. The surrounding environment only adds to the effect: at the Bayswater location, the mural sits above a garage, with an overflowing skip nearby and a crane looming overhead, its red light visible at night. The scene, captured in Banksy’s Instagram post, is both mundane and loaded with symbolism—perhaps a nod to the makeshift Christmas trees of less fortunate families, or the resilience of hope amid urban decay.
Despite the outpouring of analysis, Banksy himself has offered no commentary on the meaning of the new works. His Instagram post of the Bayswater mural was characteristically captionless, leaving interpretation up to the public. This silence has only fueled further speculation, with crowds gathering at both sites to photograph and discuss the murals. As BBC reported, "Since Monday, crowds have gathered at both locations to photograph the works." Social media, too, has been ablaze with theories and debates, with some users wondering if the murals are meant to highlight child poverty, homelessness, or the broader struggle for joy and wonder in difficult times.
It’s not the first time Banksy has used his art to wade into Britain’s social debates. In September 2025, the artist created a mural outside the Royal Courts of Justice, depicting a judge wielding a gavel over a protester—an image widely interpreted as a critique of the UK’s crackdown on activists. That work, too, was quickly covered and removed, but not before igniting a fresh round of discussion about free speech and the role of public art in political life.
Banksy’s market appeal remains undiminished. In May 2025, one of his paintings—a reimagining of Jack Vettriano’s "The Singing Butler"—sold for nearly 4.3 million pounds ($5.5 million) at a Sotheby’s auction in London, underlining the enduring value and allure of his creations. Yet, for all the hype and high prices, it is the immediacy and accessibility of his street art that continues to captivate the public imagination. As USA Today observed, "Banksy remains an elusive artist whose identity is unconfirmed," and perhaps that very elusiveness is part of the magic: anyone, anywhere, might stumble upon a new Banksy, and for a moment, the city itself becomes a canvas for shared reflection.
With the holiday season in full swing, Banksy’s latest works serve as both a celebration of wonder and a sobering reminder of the realities faced by too many Londoners. Whether seen as a call to action, a meditation on innocence, or simply a beautiful mystery, the murals have already left an indelible mark on the city’s winter landscape.
