- Crowds gather at upscale Waterloo Place to see Banksy's latest work
- Work draws mixed feelings, with one onlooker likening the sculpture blinded by a flag to Trump
- Others say it's a jab at far-right groups blinded by nationalism
In the heart of London, passersby were met with an unexpected sight: a new Banksy sculpture on a traffic island in St James’s.
At first, there was confusion. People paused, stared, and pulled out their phones to take photos. But the longer they lingered, the more the conversation shifted from surprise to curiosity, as crowds began to debate the meaning behind the artist’s latest work.
The sculpture appeared in the early hours of Wednesday morning, unannounced and unexplained. By Thursday afternoon, Banksy confirmed via Instagram that the work was his, ending a day of speculation and adding another chapter to his ongoing dialogue with public space.
The sculpture itself is striking in its simplicity and tension.
A bronze-style figure of a man in a sharply tailored business suit strides forward with purpose, mounted on a granite-like plinth.
Yet his face is completely hidden behind a flag he holds aloft, the fabric hiding his features. One foot stretches beyond the edge, as if he is about to step into thin air.
Its placement at Waterloo Place feels deliberate. Surrounded by monuments to King Edward VII and Florence Nightingale, the work disrupts a landscape rooted in imperial confidence.
It is particularly poignant given its timing. With the UK local elections scheduled for May 7, 2026, Banksy introduces something more uneasy, a figure driven forward, but unable to see.
Recent polling data shows that traditional two-party dominance (Labour and Conservative Parties) has fallen to record lows, while populist and right-leaning parties like Reform UK have seen a steady climb, sometimes polling as the second or third largest political force in the country.
So for many, the work of art suggests that a vote driven by blind nationalism or extremist pride is not just a political choice, but a dangerous step into a void.
'I think it is based on Trump'
For many gathered at the scene, the symbolism felt immediate. Chris, a resident who only gave his first name, saw echoes of contemporary politics in the suited figure.
"Well, I think it's reflecting his stance and his manner and his suit … it's based on Donald Trump," he said.
"He's flying the flag of nationality with his extremist views... and he's blinded by them all. He's about to have a big fall down the cliff. I think he's blinded by his own ambition and his own national pride," he told Anadolu.
He was equally struck by the logistics behind the installation. "The fact that it's here in the early hours of the morning, in one of the most heavily CCTV countries in the world, is genius in itself," he added.
"It does make you wonder how easy it is to do other things in this area."
'It's a warning for us'
Others interpreted the work more broadly. One passerby described it as a warning extending beyond any single political figure.
"It's just so topical," he said. "The way it draws on a sort of totalitarian style... it's a warning, like lots of his work does. This is a message to us about the far right. We need to not be blinded by flags. This is serious; we need to make sure that this doesn't happen."
Another passerby said seeing the sculpture up close was surreal. "It's obviously better in real life. When I saw it [on the news], I didn't realize it was actually stepping off into a void."
Beyond its message, the audacity of the act remains part of the fascination. Waterloo Place is among the most closely monitored areas in London, surrounded by embassies and exclusive institutions.
One onlooker, gesturing toward the Athenaeum Club nearby, summed up the disbelief: "See that building there? That’s called the Athenian Club. You have to be a lord or above to get in that club. The security round here is immense. How has someone managed to put something like that round here?"
Banksy’s answer came in the form of a short video shared online, showing a plain white van and a crane operating quietly in the dark — a carefully executed overnight installation.
It is a familiar pattern. In 2024, the artist staged an “animal safari” across London, leaving behind surreal interventions from piranhas in police boxes to a rhino climbing onto a Nissan Micra.
For now, Westminster City Council has placed safety barriers around the sculpture and said it is “excited” by the addition.
Whether the “man blinded by the flag” will remain in place or eventually be removed for safekeeping is still uncertain.
