Council removes part of Banksy domestic violence artwork

A Banksy mural in Margate has been taken apart by the council just hours after the artist confirmed it was genuine.

The artwork, called Valentine’s Day mascara, appears to be on the theme of violence against women and girls.

It depicts a caricature image of a 1950s housewife, wearing yellow washing-up gloves and a blue apron, pushing her husband into a freezer. The woman is shown to be smiling despite having a swollen eye and a missing tooth.

The piece – first seen on Tuesday – used a real freezer, which was deemed to be a safety hazard by Thanet district council. The council said it would return “once it has been made safe”.

A statement read: “A fridge freezer which is believed to have been part of the installation has been removed by council operatives on the grounds of safety as it was on public land.”

It added: “We will be contacting the owner of the property to discuss the options to preserve the artwork for the district.”

Banksy confirmed the artwork as his own by posting a series of photographs on Instagram displaying the image, with the caption “Valentine’s Day mascara”. The image also features 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 suggested the Bristol-born artist was making a reference to fighting violence against women on Valentine’s Day.

Violence against women and girls has been at the forefront of the news agenda in recent years, after the high-profile murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa.

In December, Banksy announced he had created 50 screenprints that would be sold to raise funds for a charity supporting the people of Ukraine.

In November, the anonymous artist confirmed he had created murals in the town of Borodianka in Ukraine. One mural depicted a man resembling the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, being thrown to the floor during a judo match with a young boy, while another showed two children using a metal tank trap as a seesaw.

Last month, it was reported that an online auction of Banksy prints to raise money to support Ukraine was targeted by thousands of “hostile attacks” from within Russia.

Explaining why he choose to partner with the Legacy of War Foundation to raise funds to support “our friends in Ukraine”, Banksy said: “In Ukraine, I saw a Legacy of War team sweep in and provide medical attention, heaters, fresh water and a friendly face to some very desperate people in a bombed-out building.

“They also lent me one of their ambulances to work from, which turned out to be extremely useful when an angry babushka found me painting on her building and called the police.

“I feel the least I should do is raise enough money to replace the number plates on the ambulances I hotted up.”

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