Banksy in Ukraine: what new works of iconic artist mean

The message about this appeared in all the main world media.

Therefore, Banksy again drew the attention of the well-fed and lazy West to the vital world problem of our time — the Russian-Ukrainian war. And the fact that Banksy spoke on this topic confirms our fight against the invaders as the main problem of humanity.

Banksy is the most famous street artist in the world. You've probably seen police officers kissing on the internet and a guy who throws a bouquet instead of a Molotov cocktail. Or a maid who sweeps away... the world's problems so they do not bother the well-fed West. Or his ubiquitous rats, who represent anonymous street artists. 

Banksy is a cult street art artist, and the reason for this is not only that his works are devoted to acute social and political problems that concern all of humanity. And not only that, he is so succinctly and metaphorically able to speak out about these problems with a spray can of paint and stencils that it instantly causes lively discussions among art critics and on the vast expanses of social networks. 

Banksy is interesting because he managed to maintain anonymity for more than 20 years of his active art career. Who is he still unknown for sure. 
And in November, this most famous anonymous person came to Ukraine specifically to leave his eloquent graffiti with a gymnast balancing on her hands on one of the walls of Borodyanka destroyed by the Russian forces. He published a photo of this work on his official Instagram page, which means that he confirmed the authorship. 

A fragile gymnast girl leaning on the ruins may symbolize both the fragility of peace in the modern world and the beauty of the renaissance that will appear in the present defeats. On the other hand, maybe this is the current Ukraine, which is barely balancing on the destroyed Soviet past. 

The work is very similar in mood. Here is a gymnast who leans on the abyss with a bandage on her neck... However, she has a ribbon in her hands, she creates beauty. Since Banksy does not explain his work, many interpretations exist.

It is much easier to interpret other graffiti in Ukraine these days. Shortly before working in Borodianka, on Kyiv's Independence Square, we noticed this graffiti on concrete blocks. Children are swinging on a metal hedgehog as if on a swing. Interestingly, this photo was published by Banksy's fan page. Here again, the fragility, the imbalance of human existence in war. This invaluable childhood ability to be inspired to play under any circumstances. 

And then photographer Ed Ram, who works in Ukraine for foreign publications, published this photo. You can also recognize Banksy's corporate identity, a small boy throws a man in a kimono with a black belt on his back. Art observers in the world's media and users on social networks have already clearly interpreted this image as a reference to the story of David and Goliath. Well, the kimono of the beaten man refers to the hobby of you know who. At least the Deutsche Welle wrote bluntly: "Perhaps this work is a hint of Russian President Vladimir Putin's love of Japanese martial art."

And most recently, Banksy confirmed the authorship of as many as seven of his works created in Ukraine. In addition to the four that have already been mentioned, this is a stencil image of a woman in a bathrobe, with curlers, a gas mask and a fire extinguisher, as if standing on a chair, which was there even before the drawing. 

Also an image of a bearded man taking a bath in the depths of a destroyed house. Both are symbols of the intervention of war in the peaceful life of Ukrainians and both expose irreparable scars on this quiet life. 

Another Banksy stencil is particularly interesting. This is an image of a Russian truck capable of carrying missiles with nuclear warheads. Well, it transports you can see what. At the same time, Banksy perfectly beat the existing image on the wall, paying tribute to the talent of an unnamed Ukrainian street artist, so to speak. Legalizing someone's vandalism, turning it into a successful statement. 

Banksy's new graffiti must become the subject of review news in all vital global media. Here are a few of the many: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Reuters, Guardian, Euronews, and Hindustan Times. 

Thus, the problem of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the destruction caused by it was again noticed, this time from a new angle of artistic reinterpretation. Art expressions of the world-renowned artist on the walls of Ukrainian houses cracked by Russian bombs. What could be more eloquent to remind the West that global problems need to be solved and not covered under a white blanket, as the famous Banksy's maid does?