Street artist Banksy has been getting into the Valentine’s Day theme, with a new work on the wall of a house in his home town causing a stir.
The artwork, which echoes Banksy’s signature style, shows a young girl firing a slingshot of flowers. The flowers are real ivy, a spray-painted vibrant red and appearing to explode across the wall.
It was found on the exterior wall of a house in Bristol on Thursday (British time). The famously shy artist was credited with the work almost as soon as it was discovered – although he was somewhat slower to take the credit for it.
Property owner Kelly Woodruff said she was “over the moon” with the work.
“When we realised it was on one of our properties we were so happy as we have always loved Banksy’s art,” she told the BBC.
“I’ve been here all day, chatting to all the people coming to see it.”
Ms Woodruff said she had been hoping Banksy would confirm the work was actually his. It was covered in a protective plastic screen even before the artist made his Instagram post.
“We need to protect it as soon as possible,” she said.
Ms Woodruff is not the only one overjoyed about the sweet artwork. The Bristol Somali Community Association tweeted about the painting soon after it was spotted.
“We hope it’s Banksy’s work,” co-founder Saed Ali wrote.
“Come and have a look yourself. Whoever painted, it’s worth admiring their creativity.”
But now that Banksy has acknowledge the Valentine’s Day artwork, security might become a problem. According to website Artnet, more than 20,000 visitors in three weeks flocked to see a Banksy work in the Welsh town of Port Talbot in 2019 – prompting the owner to invest in fencing and guards.
Eventually, overwhelmed with his newfound responsibility, he sold the work to a Banksy collector.
