Elusive street artist Banksy has claimed his latest piece of work that appeared at the beginning of the week in Margate, Kent, alluding to domestic violence
By Tristan Cork
Kieren Williams
News Reporter
14 Feb 2023
Banksy has unveiled a new Valentine’s Day ‘Mascara’ artwork, focusing on domestic violence.
The infamous street artist has revealed his latest work which appeared in Margate, Kent, at the beginning of the week.
It shows a woman dressed in 1950s-style clothing wearing cleaning gloves.
She’s pushing someone, presumably her husband, into a discarded freezer but all you can see is his legs poking out the end.
However, the piece is a commentary on the massive issue of domestic violence in the UK and abroad.
On closer inspection, the woman can be seen to be sporting a black eye and has seemingly had a tooth knocked out.
14 Feb 2023
Banksy has unveiled a new Valentine’s Day ‘Mascara’ artwork, focusing on domestic violence.
The infamous street artist has revealed his latest work which appeared in Margate, Kent, at the beginning of the week.
It shows a woman dressed in 1950s-style clothing wearing cleaning gloves.
She’s pushing someone, presumably her husband, into a discarded freezer but all you can see is his legs poking out the end.
However, the piece is a commentary on the massive issue of domestic violence in the UK and abroad.
On closer inspection, the woman can be seen to be sporting a black eye and has seemingly had a tooth knocked out.
Further inspection of the art shows the housewife has a black eye and lost a tooth - presumably due to domestic abuse
The image, also shared to his almost 12 million Instagram followers, also shares the artwork’s name ‘Valentine’s Day Mascara’.
This marks the first work the elusive artist has claimed since his surprise stint working in Ukraine in October and November last year.
It is his first back in Britain for over a year since he produced thousands of t-shirts to raise money for the Colston 4 in Bristol when they were being taken to court at the end of December 2021.
The work is typical of Banksy’s style and pairs together the environment, an overturned dumped freezer, with his art to make a commentary on social or political issues.
It first appeared Monday morning and was spotted by locals, kickstarting speculation that it might be another Banksy - but it wasn’t claimed until today.
Local resident Amy Richardson told BristolLive she first saw it first thing on Monday morning after a broadband van was driven away from the spot, and it was there behind.
It is not the first time Banksy has created art in Kent, back in 2017 he made a piece which depicted a man on a ladder chipping away a star from the EU flag.
Nor is it the first time the celebrated street artist has marked Valentine’s Day either as three years ago he released a new take on The Girl with the Balloon - one of his most renowned pieces.
This time, on a wall on a house in Bristol, he showed the girl bursting the balloon with a catapult which shed rose petals down the wall.
The image, also shared to his almost 12 million Instagram followers, also shares the artwork’s name ‘Valentine’s Day Mascara’.
This marks the first work the elusive artist has claimed since his surprise stint working in Ukraine in October and November last year.
It is his first back in Britain for over a year since he produced thousands of t-shirts to raise money for the Colston 4 in Bristol when they were being taken to court at the end of December 2021.
The work is typical of Banksy’s style and pairs together the environment, an overturned dumped freezer, with his art to make a commentary on social or political issues.
It first appeared Monday morning and was spotted by locals, kickstarting speculation that it might be another Banksy - but it wasn’t claimed until today.
Local resident Amy Richardson told BristolLive she first saw it first thing on Monday morning after a broadband van was driven away from the spot, and it was there behind.
It is not the first time Banksy has created art in Kent, back in 2017 he made a piece which depicted a man on a ladder chipping away a star from the EU flag.
Nor is it the first time the celebrated street artist has marked Valentine’s Day either as three years ago he released a new take on The Girl with the Balloon - one of his most renowned pieces.
This time, on a wall on a house in Bristol, he showed the girl bursting the balloon with a catapult which shed rose petals down the wall.
A Valentine's Day message from Banksy comments on violence against women
February 14, 2023
BILL CHAPPELLTwitter
People gathered to see a Banksy artwork on the side of a house in Margate, England, on Valentine's Day. The work depicts a 1950s housewife with a swollen eye, missing a tooth — and apparently shutting a man in a freezer. The freezer was later removed by council workers.
February 14, 2023
BILL CHAPPELLTwitter
People gathered to see a Banksy artwork on the side of a house in Margate, England, on Valentine's Day. The work depicts a 1950s housewife with a swollen eye, missing a tooth — and apparently shutting a man in a freezer. The freezer was later removed by council workers.
William Edwards/AFP via Getty Images
At first glance, she could be a prototypical 1950s housewife, wearing an apron over a smart gingham dress, complete with yellow cleaning gloves. But this is a Banksy artwork on the side of a building we're talking about, and the woman is pushing a freezer door closed — and a man's legs are jutting out the other end.
The woman is also hurt. She appears to be missing a tooth, and an eye is swollen shut. And that's where the title comes in: "Valentine's Day mascara," according to a post to Banksy's Instagram account on Tuesday.
Abusive relationships are disturbingly common. Here's how to support a loved one
The most-liked reply to Banksy's post reads: "Fighting violence used against women. Even on Valentines Day. Always!"
The artwork appeared in Margate, a city in southeastern England, becoming the latest locale for a graffiti installation by one of the world's most famous living artists. It reportedly appeared on Monday; one day later, local officials dismantled parts of the tableau.
A new Banksy mural adorns a destroyed building in Ukraine
The original work had incorporated an actual freezer and a toppled chair, following Banksy's tradition of mixing everyday items with paint and other media. As word of the artwork spread, people flocked to snap photos of themselves posing alongside the woman — resilient, triumphant and injured.
Then the freezer was taken away, leaving a void.
Workers remove a chest freezer that was part of an artwork by street artist Banksy, along the side of a house in Margate, southeast England.
At first glance, she could be a prototypical 1950s housewife, wearing an apron over a smart gingham dress, complete with yellow cleaning gloves. But this is a Banksy artwork on the side of a building we're talking about, and the woman is pushing a freezer door closed — and a man's legs are jutting out the other end.
The woman is also hurt. She appears to be missing a tooth, and an eye is swollen shut. And that's where the title comes in: "Valentine's Day mascara," according to a post to Banksy's Instagram account on Tuesday.
Abusive relationships are disturbingly common. Here's how to support a loved one
The most-liked reply to Banksy's post reads: "Fighting violence used against women. Even on Valentines Day. Always!"
The artwork appeared in Margate, a city in southeastern England, becoming the latest locale for a graffiti installation by one of the world's most famous living artists. It reportedly appeared on Monday; one day later, local officials dismantled parts of the tableau.
A new Banksy mural adorns a destroyed building in Ukraine
The original work had incorporated an actual freezer and a toppled chair, following Banksy's tradition of mixing everyday items with paint and other media. As word of the artwork spread, people flocked to snap photos of themselves posing alongside the woman — resilient, triumphant and injured.
Then the freezer was taken away, leaving a void.
Workers remove a chest freezer that was part of an artwork by street artist Banksy, along the side of a house in Margate, southeast England.
William Edwards/AFP via Getty Images
The local Thanet District Council said that while the graffiti art is a genuine Banksy, and it was on the wall of a privately owned property, the chest freezer "has been removed by council operatives on the grounds of safety as it was on public land."
The council added, "The fridge freezer is now in storage and will be returned once it has been made safe to the public. We will be contacting the owner of the property to discuss the options to preserve the artwork for the district."
Some local residents mocked the council for invoking the need to keep public spaces tidy as a rationale for taking the art work apart.
"The council saying it was removed for safety reason is a bit short sided, considering that there is a side road next to the Banksy with a pile of rubbish and wood full of nails," resident Davide Restifo told The Isle of Thanet News, submitting a photo of unsightly debris to prove his point.
The local Thanet District Council said that while the graffiti art is a genuine Banksy, and it was on the wall of a privately owned property, the chest freezer "has been removed by council operatives on the grounds of safety as it was on public land."
The council added, "The fridge freezer is now in storage and will be returned once it has been made safe to the public. We will be contacting the owner of the property to discuss the options to preserve the artwork for the district."
Some local residents mocked the council for invoking the need to keep public spaces tidy as a rationale for taking the art work apart.
"The council saying it was removed for safety reason is a bit short sided, considering that there is a side road next to the Banksy with a pile of rubbish and wood full of nails," resident Davide Restifo told The Isle of Thanet News, submitting a photo of unsightly debris to prove his point.
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