Banksy has unveiled a new piece in his bathroom, as he 'works from home' amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Instagram / Banksy
Banksy has unveiled a new piece in his bathroom, as he 'works from home' amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Instagram / Banksy
Banksy has unveiled a new piece in his bathroom, as he 'works from home' amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Instagram / Banksy
Banksy has unveiled a new piece in his bathroom, as he 'works from home' amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Instagram / Banksy

Has Banksy just given us a glimpse inside his home?


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

People around the world are adjusting to a 'new normal' of working from home, and it seems that the rule extends to some of the most famous artists on Earth.

Banksy has shared photos of his latest work, but it's not the large-scale street art we're used to seeing from him.

The British graffiti artist joked on Instagram, "My wife hates it when I work from home," sharing photos of a bathroom that looks to have been artfully messed up, and is covered in the rats he is well known for drawing.

The piece includes rodents hanging from light switches and towel rails, running across toilet rolls and urinating on the toilet seat cover. Notably, there is also unrolled toilet paper across the floor – toilet paper has become a symbol of hoarding and bulk-buying globally amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Rats regularly crop up in Banksy's work, most commonly being mischievous or holding protest boards emblazoned with political statements.

A woman walks by an artwork attributed to Banksy in Paris's 18th arrondissement in June 2018. EPA
A woman walks by an artwork attributed to Banksy in Paris's 18th arrondissement in June 2018. EPA

Banksy makes an effort to keep his identity hidden and little is known about the artist or his personal life.

So assuming he is adhering to current British social-distancing rules and staying home, as he says he is, this is one of the most intimate glimpses into his life he has given the world. And, we also now know – again, if he's being truthful – that he has a wife.

In the photos we can see he has bog-standard taste in toothbrushes, is a user of Colgate and Febreze and doesn't live in an incredibly modern home.

Last we heard from Banksy was on Valentine's Day this year, when a new mural appeared in his home town of Bristol on February 13.

Stencilled on the side of a house in Bristol’s Barton Hill, the work depicted a young girl firing roses from a sling shot, forming an explosive floral pattern metres above. A small handful of flowers were also left draped strategically over a street sign below, mimicking dripping paint.

The Valentine's Day 2020 work by Banksy in Bristol, England. Reuters
The Valentine's Day 2020 work by Banksy in Bristol, England. Reuters

By February 15, the work had been defaced by vandals, despite the fact a plastic sheet had been placed over the piece to protect it.

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Read more: 

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