Banksy unveils mysterious new artwork featuring image of lighthouse

Independent

2 days ago

Banksy has unveiled a new artwork featuring a lighthouse and the phrase "I want to be what you saw in me" at an undisclosed location.
The elusive artist shared an image of the work on Instagram, showing two elderly people walking their dogs near the black-and-white mural, which depicts a lighthouse tower.
A second photograph shows a blurred figure on a scooter and a graffiti tag close to the artwork.
The tag appears to read "Yaze", a moniker used by Canadian graffiti artist Marco The Polo, who has cited Banksy as an inspiration.
The phrase may have been taken from a song by Tennessee-based country band Lonestar, called 'Softly', which features the lyric: 'I want to be what you see in me. I want to love you the way that you love me.'
Banksy has been active since the 1990s, originally creating street art in Bristol before his works began popping up in other locations.
His creations have garnered significant attention, fuelling ongoing speculation about his true identity.
In March, his reimagining of a famous work by the late Scottish painter Jack Vettriano sold at auction for £4.3m.
'Crude Oil (Vettriano)' was listed by Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus, who acquired the painting in 2011.
Some have claimed that the new piece could be in the French city of Marseille, a location where French street artist Invader has brought his pixelated style.
In 2024, London saw a swathe of animal-themed Banksy works including a rhino seemingly mounting a silver Nissan Micra, two elephant silhouettes with their trunks stretched out towards each other, and three monkeys that looked as though they were swinging on a bridge.
Since putting one of a gorilla lifting the shutter at London Zoo, Banksy has also posted another image, of a Madonna with baby Jesus and what looks like a bullet hole.
The lighthouse is his latest image.