Banksy’s New London Mural Appears to Address Child Homele…

Banksy has unveiled a new mural in London.

The piece depicts two children lying on the ground, one pointing to the sky, with both wearing rainboots, coats, and beanies.

The mysterious street artist seemed to confirm that the artwork is his on Monday, when he posted photos on his official Instagram account. The black and white mural is located on the side of a building in West London’s Bayswater neighborhood.

On Friday, an identical mural appeared outside the Centre Point tower in central London, though Banksy didn’t claim this iteration, per the BBC.

Artist Daniel Lloyd-Morgan told the outlet that the mural appears to be a commentary on child homelessness during the holiday season.

“Everybody is having a good time, but there are a lot of children who are not having a good time at Christmas,” he said. “They walk past homeless people, and they don’t see them lying on the street.”

Lloyd-Morgan added, “It’s kind of like they’re stargazing. It’s quite fitting that the kids are pointing up like they’re looking at the North Star.”

The Centre Point location is an apt choice, as it has been a historic center of housing protests, ultimately sparking the founding of the charity Centrepoint to address homelessness in 1969. The building has since been transformed into luxury flats.

The timing of the murals coincides with a record high in child homelessness in Britain. According to The New York Times, government data released in October revealed that more than 170,000 children in the country were living in temporary accommodations, an increase over the previous year.

In September, Banksy’s mural depicting a protester being beaten with a gavel by a judge was destroyed, with officials claiming the removal was due to the building’s historic status.