Elusive British graffiti artist Banksy has posted photos on his Instagram of a new mural in Borodyanka, north-west Kyiv, confirming speculation that the artwork and six others in Ukraine are his.
The recently created piece depicts a gymnast performing a handstand on the remains of broken concrete blocks poking out of a blackened, damaged wall on the side of a building. Hovering above the gymnast are the gutted, blown up remnants of apartments.
Banksy posted three images of the mural with the caption: "Borodyanka, Ukraine."
Scroll through the gallery above for pictures of Banksy's works in Ukraine
The town of Borodyanka, located 54km north-west of Kyiv, was one of the most targeted areas by Russian forces. Aerial attacks bombarded the town and it was occupied by soldiers for weeks after Russia invaded in February; they were eventually dispelled by Ukrainian forces. Ukrainian investigators have since found dozens of mass graves in Borodyanka filled with civilian bodies.
The striking mural of the gymnast joins six other suspected public works by the artist, which were spotted last week across Ukraine. One work shows a woman in a dressing gown and hair curlers, wearing a gas mask, armed with a fire extinguisher while another depicts two children using a metal tank trap as a seesaw.
One mural, also located in Borodyanka, depicts a man, suspected to be Russian president Vladimir Putin, being flipped onto the floor while engaging in a judo match with a young boy. Putin holds an honorary black belt in the sport, which was revoked by World Taekwondo earlier this year.
These new works by Banksy are the artist’s first public murals in more than a year following his pieces titled A Great British Spraycation, which were dotted around the UK's holiday destinations as families chose not to travel abroad during Covid-19.
The anonymous artist gained notoriety in the early 1990s through his stencilled designs, which first appeared Bristol. Over the years his politically driven, satirical street art in its distinctive technique, along with his public installations, have appeared around the world.
Banksy's lost West Bank art found in Israel - in pictures
