Banksy artworks appear on destroyed buildings in Ukraine

Anonymous street artist Banksy appears to confirm he is behind street art in a suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Graffiti of a woman in a leotard doing a handstand is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Borodyanka on November 11, 2022 in Kyiv Region, Ukraine.
Graffiti of a woman in a leotard doing a handstand is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Borodyanka [Ed Ram/Getty Images]

British renowned street artist Banksy appears to have confirmed that he is behind artwork which recently appeared in Ukraine.

Banksy, whose identity remains unknown, posted on Instagram on Friday evening pictures of street artwork on a destroyed building, captioned “Borodyanka, Ukraine”.

Borodyanka, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has been heavily bombed since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour on February 24.

The work shows a girl apparently doing a handstand on chunks of broken masonry on the grey wall of a war-damaged house.

Banksy posting work on his Instagram is usually interpreted as the artist claiming the work as his.

Other similar murals appeared around the town, which sparked speculation that Banksy had been working in Borodyanka.

One mural shows a man resembling Russia’s President Vladimir Putin being defeated by a flip during a judo match by a child.

BORODYANKA, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 11 Graffiti of a child throwing a man on the floor in judo clothing is seen on a wall amid damaged buildings in Borodyanka on November 11, 2022 in Kyiv Region, Ukraine. The art work has sparked online speculation over whether the graffiti artist Banksy has been working in Ukraine. Borodyanka was hit particularly hard by Russian airstrikes in the first few weeks of the conflict. Electricity and heating outages across Ukraine caused by missile and drone strikes to energy infrastructure have added urgency to preparations for winter. (Photo by Ed Ram/Getty Images)
Graffiti of a child throwing a man on the floor in judo clothing is seen on a wall amid damaged buildings in Borodyanka [Ed Ram/Getty Images]

Another mural depicts a woman as a rhythmic gymnast in a leotard and a neck brace waving a ribbon on a destroyed building.

The anonymous street artist has travelled to areas affected by war and conflict in the past, including the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

IRPIN, UKRAINE - NOVEMBER 11 Graffiti of a woman in a leotard and a neck brace waving a ribbon is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Irpin on November 11, 2022 in Kyiv Region, Ukraine. Similar art work in the region sparked online speculation over whether the graffiti artist Banksy has been working in Ukraine. Irpin saw heavy fighting in the first few weeks of the conflict. Electricity and heating outages across Ukraine caused by missile and drone strikes to energy infrastructure have added urgency to preparations for winter. (Photo by Ed Ram/Getty Images)
Graffiti of a woman in a leotard and a neck brace waving a ribbon is seen on the wall of a destroyed building in Irpin [Ed Ram/Getty Images]

A fourth work has two children sitting on a metal tank trap, using it as a seesaw spray painted onto a concrete defensive block.

Banksy rose to fame around the city of Bristol, in southwestern England, in the early 1990s.

In the past, his work has been sold for millions of British pounds (dollars). In 2018, a work by the artist shred itself into pieces at the moment it was sold for more than one million pounds ($1.8m) at a London auction.

Source: News Agencies