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Banksy confirms street artwork with apparent theme of domestic abuse was by him

The piece is set on a white wall backdrop, with people online speculating it is off Grosvenor Place in Margate, Kent.

Ellie Iorizzo
Tuesday 14 February 2023 08:33 GMT
The artwork titled Valentine’s Day mascara (Banksy/PA)
The artwork titled Valentine’s Day mascara (Banksy/PA)

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Banksy has claimed a new piece of artwork which appears to have a theme of domestic abuse and fighting violence against women.

The wall painting appears to show a 1950s housewife, wearing a classic blue pinny and yellow washing up gloves, with a swollen eye and a missing tooth seemingly shoving her male partner into a chest freezer.

In a series of photographs posted on his Instagram account, the elusive artist captioned the piece “Valentine’s day mascara” and zoomed in twice to show a close-up of the woman’s smiling but seemingly battered face.

The piece is set on a white wall backdrop, with users online speculating it is off Grosvenor Place in Margate, Kent.

It also features a variety of rubbish on the ground in front of the artwork, including a broken white garden chair, a blue crate and an empty beer bottle.

Speculation about the post has suggested the Bristol-born artist is referencing fighting violence against women on Valentine’s Day.

In December, the anonymous graffiti artist announced they had created 50 screenprints which would be sold to raise funds for a charity supporting the people of Ukraine.

Banksy previously confirmed they had spent time in Ukraine after posting a video of an artist spray-painting designs in the war-torn country and speaking to locals.

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