大象传媒

Banksy animal artworks have appeared across London

banksy goat artwork.Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

A goat was spotted on the wall of a house in West London

Famous street artist Banksy has left some new pieces of art all over London.

The artist hasn't revealed if there's a meaning behind the animals that he's painted, but they've created a lot of excitement with many people gathering to take photographs.

Banksy, who keeps his identity top-secret, is known for pulling stunts such as auctioning his art then immediately shredding it.

So some believe this latest stunt could be a build up to something big... or perhaps it could mean absolutely nothing at all.

So what does some his latest work look like? And who is Banksy?

Keep reading to find out!

Elephants saying hello

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Banksy confirmed he was behind two elephants touching trunks in Chelsea on social media.

Three cheeky monkeys

Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Three monkeys were painted swinging across a bridge over busy Brick Lane.

Ready to pounce

Image source, PA Media

A cat was found on an abandoned billboard. The billboard had been due to be taken down and has since been removed, along with the artwork, a day earlier than planned.

A tank of piranhas

Image source, Getty Images

Swimming piranhas were spotted on on a City of London Police sentry box, which Banksy later confirmed he had painted.

Animal zoo escape

Image source, EPA

Another piece of animal artwork, showing a gorilla lifting the shutter to release a sea lion and birds, was discovered at London Zoo.

Who is the street artist Banksy?

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Banksy's artworks are often created using a stencil

Banksy began spray-painting trains and walls in his home city of Bristol in the early 1990s. Bristol is well known for its colourful street art and graffiti.

But in the 2000s, he expanded his work beyond Bristol and was soon leaving his mark all over the world.

He quickly became well known as an artist who would poke fun at companies and governments. His work is often used to send a message.

Why does no one know who Banksy is?

Image source, Steve Lazarides
Image caption,

A photograph by Banksy's former agent is said to show the artist at work

His identity is unknown, despite lots of people trying to guess who he is.

In 2008 a newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, revealed who they thought he was.

In June 2017, a DJ referred to Banksy as a man called Rob in an interview.

A book of photos released by Banksy's former agent, Steve Lazarides, claims to show the artist at work, although none of the images showed his face.

Another possibility is that Banksy is actually not one person, but many different people - operating as a group!

Banksy is known for not saying much and his team refuse to reveal Banksy's identity too so for now it remains a mystery.