Banksy Installs Flag-Blinded Statue in Central London as City Says It Will Stay on View

Banksy has confirmed a new sculpture in central London showing a suited man stepping off a plinth with his face obscured by a large flag.

Suited Man Blinded by Flag Banksy statue Central London. Credit: PA

The piece appeared overnight in Waterloo Place, near The Mall, and a video posted by the artist shows it being delivered on a low-loader trailer in the dark.

The statue bears Banksy’s signature at the base.

Westminster City Council said it had no plans to remove the work and had already taken steps to protect it.

“We welcome Banksy's latest sculpture in Westminster, ⁠which makes a striking addition to the city's vibrant public art scene,” a council spokesperson said. “While we have taken initial steps to protect the statue, at this time it will remain accessible for the public to view ⁠and enjoy.”

The sculpture sits in an area dense with royal and military monuments, and its placement has pushed viewers to read it as a comment on nationalism or what many called blind patriotism.

It is Banksy’s first public artwork since a March investigation into his identity and follows a December mural in London that he later claimed as his own.

The artist’s lawyer had previously argued that revealing details about Banksy’s identity would interfere with his work and put him “in danger.”

The latest installation arrives with that tension still intact, even as local authorities have decided to treat the statue as a public artwork rather than a nuisance to be cleared away.