Residents welcome new Banksy tree mural: ‘We just feel so proud’

The artist claimed the mural as his own in an Instagram post on Monday, following a morning of speculation after it appeared on a building on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park overnight.

Residents said they were “proud and delighted” at the thought of the anonymous artist choosing their street for his latest mural.

Wanja Sellers, a Hornsey Road resident who lives a few doors down from the mural, said: “We’re so proud and delighted that Banksy chose our road and chose Finsbury Park for his work.

“The bright green colours represent Islington which is lovely and also, of course, St Patrick’s Day which is nice and festive.

“Choosing the colours of our borough just makes it feel like a personal message to us residents. We just feel so proud.”

Bright green paint has been sprayed on the building, in front of a cut-back tree, creating the impression of being its foliage.

A stencil of a person holding a pressure hose has been sketched onto the building as well.

The vivid paint colour matches that used by Islington Council for street signs in the area.

Banksy came overnight and now my rent will skyrocket 🙃 pic.twitter.com/SCafkFw2ww

— James (@jamestroe) March 17, 2024
Neighbours gathered to take photographs and selfies with the mural on Monday morning, and to speculate on its creator.

Lidia Guerra, another Hornsey Road resident, said: “The way it’s been done with the paint spraying down reminds me of a weeping willow, so there’s perhaps a message about the struggle of nature with the dead tree in front.

“It’s just great – when we read about it last night, we knew we to come and see it as soon as possible.

“We feel so proud to think he chose our street.”

Banksy usually confirms his artwork via his Instagram and website.

Before this piece, his last confirmed work was in December, when he painted military drones on to a stop sign in Peckham, south London.

That work removed less than an hour after it was confirmed to be genuine on the artist’s social media, with witnesses reporting it was taken down by a man with bolt cutters.

Two men were later arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage.