Street artist Banksy confirmed on Monday that two identical murals featuring children gazing at the sky have appeared in London just days before Christmas.

The murals depict two children dressed in winter coats, bobble hats, and wellington boots lying on their backs, with one child pointing upward toward the sky. Banksy officially claimed one of the works through his Instagram account on Monday afternoon, showing the artwork painted above a row of garages on Queen's Mews in Bayswater, west London.

An identical version appeared outside the Centre Point tower in central London on Friday, though Banksy has not officially confirmed this second location on his social media, according to The Guardian. The Centre Point site carries particular significance as the tower became a focal point for housing protests in the 1970s when it sat empty while people experienced homelessness on nearby streets. The building now contains luxury apartments while child homelessness remains a pressing issue in Britain.

The black and white stenciled murals have drawn widespread speculation about their meaning. Art experts and observers have noted the timing coincides with the winter solstice on December 21 and arrives during a period when an estimated 102,000 unhoused children reside in temporary accommodations across London. Some interpret the work as commentary on child poverty and homelessness during the holiday season.

Banksy specialist Jasper Tordoff suggested the outstretched arm and pointing gesture echo the artist's famous "Girl with a Balloon" and may reference the Star of Bethlehem, Artnet reported. Others see the children's wonder and imagination as a counterpoint to their surroundings, which include peeling paint and overflowing rubbish bins in the Bayswater location.

The appearance continues Banksy's tradition of releasing Christmas-themed works with social messages. In 2019, he created a Birmingham mural showing reindeer pulling a bench used by homeless people, resembling Santa's sleigh. That same year, he unveiled "The Scar of Bethlehem" in the West Bank, depicting the nativity scene with a bullet hole instead of a star.

The anonymous artist has not provided commentary on the meaning of the new murals. Since Monday, crowds have gathered at both locations to photograph the works, as per the BBC.

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