Latest Banksy artwork deemed a ‘safety hazard’ and demolished

The latest artwork by pioneering street artist Banksy was demolished hours after the mysterious virtuoso confessed it was his. The authorities deemed it a “safety hazard.”

The piece, Valentine’s Day Mascara, allegedly themed on violence against women and girls, was dismantled by Thanet District Council yesterday afternoon.

A caricature of a 1950s housewife, donning yellow washing-up gloves and a blue apron, is portrayed in Banksy’s mural shoving her spouse into a freezer. Despite having a black eye and a tooth missing, the woman is shown smiling in the artwork.

The mural was unveiled on Tuesday, featuring an actual freezer that was deemed unsafe by the Thanet District Council. As a result, the council stated that it would be brought back “once it has been rendered safe.”

A council spokesperson said…

“A fridge freezer which is believed to have been part of the installation has been removed by council operatives on the grounds of safety as it was on public land.

“We will be contacting the owner of the property to discuss the options to preserve the artwork for the district.”

Banksy acknowledged the artwork was his after he shared a series of photos on Instagram. He accompanied the post with the caption “Valentine’s Day Mascara.”

The piece includes a broken white garden chair, an empty beer bottle, and a blue crate scattered on the ground in front of it. The artwork sparked discussions that Banksy was making a statement on fighting violence against women on Valentine’s Day, given the recent spotlight on the issue following the tragic killings of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.

Everard was murdered in London in 2021 by police officer Wayne Couzens on March 3 in a savage attack which involved kidnap, rape and murder.

Nessa, a primary school teacher, was attacked and killed by Koci Selamaj in September 2021 as she walked near her south London home after dark.

The controversial British street artist exhibited his artwork in Bangkok for the first time late last year at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

Under the banner of The Art of Banksy: Without Limits, the exhibit displayed over 150 works by the anarchic graffiti artist from October 26 until December 31.