Where is the new Valentine’s Day Banksy mural and what does it mean?

A home in Bristol has become the object of many people’s affection this Valentine’s Day as Banksy has confirmed he is behind the street art newly added to the building.

A local couple walking in the city were surprised to find the striking piece – later dubbed ‘the Valentine’s Banksy’ – on the side of a building in a residential area.

Crowds have since been flocking to the scene, but where exactly is the new Banksy and is there a meaning behind the work?

Where is the new Banksy?

The mural has appeared in the Barton Hill area of Bristol.

The area is just to the east of the city centre and Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

Local resident James Bullock said he saw scaffolding on the wall at about 6.20am on Thursday, and was amazed when he returned later, with his girlfriend, and noticed the artwork had appeared on the side of a rented home occupied by 67-year-old Edwin Simons.

Edwin’s daughter, Kelly Woodruff, told PA Media: ‘We’ve been down here all day and it’s been a complete buzz of excitement.

‘There’s so many people coming and…taking pictures.’

She went on to add that it’s ‘incredible and beautiful’ and she welcomes people to ‘come and have a look yourself.’

What is the message of the new Banksy?

The artwork depicts a stencilled image of a young girl firing a slingshot of red flowers made with spray-painted ivy.

The image has a notable resemblance to previous works of the street artist, including Girl With Balloon which appeared around London in 2002.

Banksy published a picture of the work on his official Instagram page at midnight on Valentine’s Day.

Like any good piece of art, it can be open to interpretation as Banksy has yet to add any additional commentary on what might have inspired the work.

But considering the date, and that he confirmed his involvement at the stroke of midnight on Valentine’s, perhaps it’s just his version of a Valentine’s message to his fans.

Banksy’s last work prior to this mural was his festive artwork in Birmingham.

The festive mural was designed to make a park bench look as though it’s being pulled by Santa’s sleigh, with two reindeer painted on the wall next to the bench.

A video on Banksy’s Instagram page shows a homeless man called Ryan having a drink before lying down on the bench as the camera pans out – making it look as though he is being spirited away by the reindeer.

In the caption for the video, Banksy was quick to point out the kindness of the people he encountered. He wrote: ‘In the 20 minutes we filmed Ryan on this bench passers-by gave him a hot drink, two chocolate bars and a lighter – without him ever asking for anything… God bless Birmingham.’