In March 2024, a new Banksy piece was unveiled in London. It showed up overnight at the yard of Carlos Serrano, a Colombian immigrant and a BBC journalist who asserts that he had no idea that the piece would be installed at his yard on Hornsey Road, Holloway. Serrano has also denied the fact he is Banksy or that he is in any way connected to the artist. Meanwhile, Banksy himself confirmed that the work was his by posting it on his social media. The particular piece, which has come to be known as the London tree mural, shows a Black person holding an air brush with green paint coming out of it.
The portrayed person has seemingly sprayed the paint at-random onto Serrano’s wall, positioned behind a bare cherry tree. Only when people view the tree at a certain angle will they understand that Banksy’s character has attempted to give the tree back its leaves. Art critics have agreed that the mural is Banksy’s climate action awareness piece. It calls for people to do what they can to help preserve today’s trees. Aside from being ascribed this meaning, to the BBC, Serrano has also stated that the mural’s presence in his backyard has helped him feel more at home in his London community. Through it, he has been able to interact with people, local neighbours or even those who have travelled for up to two hours to visit the piece.
Whether or not Banksy intentionally placed the mural in his yard, the piece’s impact shows Banksy’s commitment to an intersectional climate action approach. Dr. Skyler Jackson and Cam Humphrey from Yale Sustainability explain intersectional climate action as a climate action movement that recognizes that characteristics such as race, place, age, gender and geography intersect and interact with power structures that have upheld today’s state of environmental degradation. Hence, an intersectional climate action movement calls for people to recognize their privileges and the disadvantages and discrimination that others face, in order to create a holistic approach that can truly include everyone in humanity’s fight against climate change.
The artwork’s message of intersectional climate action is also further bolstered by Banksy’s choice to depict a Black character. As previously mentioned, the Black person is painting on the tree’s leaves, symbolizing a climate movement that embraces people from all backgrounds, regardless of race, age, sexuality, religion and as seen in Serrano’s involvement, regardless of their citizenship status. As the fight against climate change is one of planetary proportions that will require everyone’s participation. This is why Banksy’s London tree mural is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Reduced Inequalities and Climate Action.
Despite the piece’s overwhelmingly positive message, just two days after the mural first appeared, it was defaced with streaks of white paint. The Islington City Council, the local council where the mural is located, has responded by installing fences around Serrano’s yard and mandating visits from local park patrol officers.
“We are discussing future solutions with the homeowner, to enable everyone to enjoy the artwork while protecting it, the tree, and the surrounding area. We’re also in the process of installing a CCTV camera,” said a member of the City Council to The Guardian. This incident has only further shown just how important artworks such as Banksy’s London tree murals are; as they help remind the community of important positive values, in an otherwise intolerant world.
Find out more about Banksy’s London tree mural and their other pieces by checking their Instagram on @banksy.