New Banksy's: Stargazing Children Become a Message on Homelessness

Two new works attributed to Banksy have appeared in London, once again prompting speculation about the street artist’s intentions and the messages hidden in his deceptively simple imagery. The confirmed piece, revealed in Bayswater, west London, shows two children lying flat on the ground in coats, bobble hats and wellington boots, one of them pointing up towards the night sky. Banksy acknowledged the mural by sharing an image of it on his Instagram account, maintaining his familiar pattern of letting the work speak for itself.

Adding intrigue to the unveiling, an identical image has also surfaced beneath the Centre Point tower in central London. While Banksy’s representatives have only officially confirmed the Bayswater mural, many believe the second work is also his, not least because of the symbolic weight of its location. Centre Point has long been associated with housing protests and homelessness, having stood empty for years before being converted into luxury apartments.

Viewers and commentators have been quick to read the murals as a commentary on child homelessness, particularly poignant in the run-up to Christmas. The image of children gazing at the stars while lying on cold ground suggests both vulnerability and hope, echoing Oscar Wilde’s famous line about finding stars while in the gutter. Some have also noted visual links to Banksy’s earlier work Season’s Greetings, reinforcing the idea that the artist is revisiting familiar themes of social neglect and innocence.

As with much of Banksy’s output, the murals’ power lies partly in their setting. In busy city spaces where people often walk past those sleeping rough without a glance, the children’s upward gaze becomes a quiet challenge: to look again, and to notice those who are usually ignored.