Black Lives Matter became one of the hottest, if not the hottest, topics of the last year. The anti-racist and pro-equality movement pierced America’s social and political life. The summer of 2020 saw the biggest protests for civil rights and racial justice for the last decade. Many people were waiting for the support of public figures, be they politicians or artists. Special attention would be given to Banksy and his response to burning issues. And Bansky responded. The outcome is already known: Banksy BLM art became the bright sparkle of hope in the daunting times.
Banksy BLM art: fighting against racism through art
On June 6, 2020, Bansky shared a post on Instagram where he revealed a painting of the American flag set on fire by a memorial candle. The latter stands near the portrait of a black silhouette as the embodiment of Black people. The graffiti artist also wrote, “At first I thought I should just shut up and listen to black people about this issue. But why would I do that? It’s not their problem, it’s mine.”
Banksy BLM art left no doubt — the artist supports the movement and raises awareness of police brutality and racial bias. Furthermore, Banksy ascertains the guilt of the white system, pointing out that these are white people who should fix the problem. So far, the post has got more than 2.5 million likes and tremendous support from the public.
However, there are those who do not share Banksy’s viewpoint and hence criticize him for being overly political. At the of the day, Banksy art is all about strong commentary on social issues and the current state of affairs in the world.
There is no doubt that Banksy BLM art has become yet another example of how the prominent street artist can contribute to the battle with the injustice of the political system ruining people’s lives.