A mysterious festive addition spotted in the early hours has sparked speculation that Banksy may have returned to one of his iconic works in Birmingham
Has Banksy returned to Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter to add new touches to one of his iconic works? That was the question many in the area were asking today – and some believed he had.
The guerrilla artist’s festive artwork highlighting homelessness first appeared on a wall near the district’s train station on Vyse Street in December 2019.
It depicted two reindeers ‘pulling’ a bench – on which a homeless man lay in a video shared by Banksy himself – in what appeared to be a makeshift sleigh. At the time, many believed the man was an actor involved in the stunt.
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Six years on, in the early hours of this morning, December 17, a van reportedly pulled up at the site with people inside.
Traffic cones were then said to have been placed around the artwork as they installed a life-size Santa mannequin on the bench.
A Father Christmas has appeared at the Banksy mural near Jewellery Quarter train station(Image: Harry Leach)
When BirminghamLive visited the piece this afternoon, several clues suggested the anonymous street artist may have been behind the latest addition – or, at the very least, someone with a brilliant creative mind had decided to leave their own mark.
The Santa figure, tucked into a sleeping bag and wearing battered Tommy Hilfiger trainers, was holding a newspaper.
The page was open on a crossword puzzle, with words such as ‘Bank’, ‘Basil’ ( a possible reference to St Basils charity?), ‘Hay, ‘Twitter’, ‘Peace’, ‘Honeysuckle’, ‘Popular’, ‘Orchestrate’ and ‘Puppy’ filled in.
The Santa, tucked in a sleeping bag and wearing battered Tommy Hilfiger trainers, was holding a newspaper (Image: Harry Leach)
A QR code stuck to a cardboard box beneath the Santa led to a donations page for SIFA Fireside – a Birmingham charity supporting adults at risk of, or facing homelessness, in the city.
Underneath the figure was a copy of the 1903 four-act drama ‘Man and Superman’, written by playwright George Bernard Shaw.
Birmingham poet Sipho Eric Ndlovu, who was speaking in front of the piece, said he was not involved in the stunt but added his own poetry to the scene.
He said: “The Santa Claus, well, there’s a mystery in the message, what is contracted and who was called, we’re asking for those without our own, because, when you focus on the artist alone and yet ignore all else that is shown, you wonder, as you look through your phone, who could Father Christmas call when he has nowhere else to go, when it’s time to go home.”
The life-size Santa tucked inside a sleeping bag(Image: Harry Leach)
Two men from Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT), guarding the work, told us that locals had seen a van pull up in the early hours.
A nearby café worker, who did not want to be named, said she had been told she couldn’t say much about it when we approached.
Nail technician Ayesha Malik, who spotted the piece on her way to work, said: “It was about 9.30am when I noticed a homeless man with a Christmas hat on.
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“I glanced when I walked past – and then I was a bit startled when I realised it wasn’t real. It’s really life-like.”
The 27-year-old owner of Ayesha Malik Nail added: “I didn’t see anyone put it up but there was a small crowd of people taking photos. Someone said they had seen it happen.
“They were saying he was dressed as a traffic warden. I think it’s Banksy and it’s great. I wish I’d been there to see it happen.”
Do you think Banksy has returned to the Jewellery Quarter? Or is someone else behind the stunt? Let us know in the comments below