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Banksy’s stargazing children spotlight London’s housing divide
Banksy has revealed two new murals across London depicting children gazing toward the night sky images that have resonated deeply amid record levels of child homelessness in the United Kingdom. The first artwork appeared above a set of garages in Bayswater, while a near-identical version surfaced days later near the Centre Point tower in central London, one of the city’s most iconic symbols of housing inequality.
The stenciled murals show two children dressed for winter, pointing upward with quiet wonder. Shared on Banksy’s verified social media, the pieces have been interpreted as poignant reflections on hope and neglect, especially at a time when official data show more children in temporary accommodation than ever before.
According to government figures released this year, 172,420 children in England were living in temporary housing as of June 2025 a 7.5 percent increase from the previous year and the highest total since records began. In London alone, children now make up almost half of all homeless residents.
Artists and activists have taken note of the Centre Point mural’s powerful symbolism. Built in 1963, the brutalist tower once stood empty for over a decade before becoming a flashpoint for housing activists. In 1969, it inspired the creation of the charity Centrepoint, while protestors famously occupied the building in 1974 to denounce homelessness. Its later conversion into high-end apartments remains, for many, a powerful metaphor for London’s widening housing gap.
Art critics have drawn parallels between this new work and Banksy’s earlier “Girl with a Balloon,” both of which channel innocence and longing in the face of harsh realities. The artist’s decision to focus once again on children and winter hardship continues his tradition of using seasonal artwork to highlight social issues most notably his 2019 Birmingham mural depicting reindeer pulling a bench used by a homeless man.
Banksy’s latest creations have reignited debate about how art can capture the human side of economic injustice, transforming urban walls into mirrors of an unequal city.