Banksy confirms mural that appeared overnight in London is his work

Banksy took credit for the massive art piece on his Instagram after rumours swirled about the origin of the mural.

A new mural by British street artist Banksy has been spotted in north London. Residents of the area woke up Monday morning to find the massive art piece, which had appeared overnight.

Rumours immediately swirled about whether the mural was, indeed, a Banksy. The enigmatic street artist appeared to confirm the reports Monday with a series of photos from the site posted to Instagram. (Banksy typically claims credit for his work on social media or on his website.)

The mural was painted on a wall behind a barren tree, stripped of its leaves with its branches pruned down unnaturally. A mass of green paint, dripping down the wall behind the tree, appears to give the plant its foliage again. In the bottom left of the mural stands a stencilled image of a woman holding a spraying device, dripping in green paint.

Banksy didn’t caption the post, but the photo set includes a picture of the site before the mural was started and two shots of the completed artwork.

Banksy expert James Peak, who produced the podcast The Banksy Story, told the BBC that, to him, the message behind the mural is clear.

“Nature’s struggling and it is up to us to help it grow back.”

The renowned artist’s latest work sparked interest and excitement across social media platforms, including from lawmaker and former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area of north London where the art appeared.