‘Mystery’ as rumoured Banksy artwork appears ‘overnight’ in Birmingham

A mural rumoured to be painted by the renowned graffiti artist Banksy has appeared ‘overnight’ in Birmingham today (April 3). The artwork can be seen in Birmingham’s Gay Village and appears to depict Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

The mural, painted on the side of Sidewalk bar on Kent Street, shows Dorothy reaching for a pair of ruby high-heels hung on a nearby electric cable. Southside BID has tweeted speculating as to whether the new art could be the work of the elusive artist, while a Birmingham-based art critic said the work had ‘all the hallmarks of Banksy.’

Phil Oldershaw, director of Sidewalk, said they were alerted to the mural’s appearance this morning, and that it’s origin remained a ‘mystery.’ If genuine, it would be the second Banksy piece in Birmingham, after a powerful mural appeared in the Jewellery Quarter in 2019 depicting a pair of galloping reindeers, in a powerful message about homelessness.

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Birmingham-based art historian and critic Ruth Millington told BirminghamLive the artwork bears ‘all the hallmarks’ of an original Banksy piece. “Banksy doesn’t just stick to 2D art, he plays with objects in real life,” she said.

“We can see the artwork interacting with the shoes on the telephone wire which is very clever. It’s also interesting to note that Banksy has used Dorothy in his art before, he likes putting her in interesting places.

“Banksy does site-specific artworks which carry meaning too. Here we’ve got Dorothy in the Gay Village, and her red shoes definitely carry associations with gay and queer culture where she’s become a bit of an icon.

“I think the timing is quite interesting too, we’re hearing a lot about the city’s cultural scene and the cuts it’s facing – and this could be Banksy drawing attention to that. For me it’s got all the elements a Banksy would have, whereas copycat artwork tends to not include all of these elements together. There’s clearly thinking behind this artwork.”

Phil Oldershaw, director of Sidewalk, said he ‘rushed’ to view the mural when he was alerted to it. “We don’t know where it’s come from,” he said.

“It wasn’t there when the manager locked up last night. It’s still a mystery. I’ve asked our maintenance team to go and cover it in perspex – I’m going to protect it whether it’s Banksy or not. It would be a great thing for Birmingham – and it makes Southside look great too!”

The new mural appeared on the day council contractors painted over a tribute mural to Benjamin Zephaniah close to Hockley underpass. Staff covered the giant artwork because it was on a wall not explicitly covered by a protection order.

Banksy’s most recent mural appeared on the side of a residential building in Finsbury Park, north London, on 18 March. Banksy soon claimed the mural as his own in an Instagram post after it drew crowds and attracted speculation.

The elusive artist is yet to confirm whether this mural is his own work.