BANKSY
Bunch of Flowers, 2020
Spray-paint on acetate, in artist’s frame
85.7 x 71 x 3.2 cm (33 3/4 x 28 x 1 1/4 inches)
Signed ‘Banksy’ (lower right)
Inscribed ‘For Trevor’ (lower left)
Provenance
Private Collection, UK (a gift from the artist)
Thence by descent to the present owner
Auction History
| Christie’s London 25 March 2021 Est.: GBP 150,000 – 250,000 |
Price Realized GBP 250,000 / USD 344,000 BANKSY, Bunch of Flowers | Christie’s |
PART OF THE PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT GOODWILL IN ACTION TO PREVENT SUICIDE
Catalogue Note
Painted in 2020, Bunch of Flowers is a rare and elegant reinterpretation of one of Banksy’s most celebrated images, Love Is In The Air (also known as Flower Thrower). Rather than depicting the masked protester preparing to hurl his floral projectile, Banksy isolates the bouquet itself, allowing it to exist independently of the figure that made it famous. Removed from its original context, the flowers become the sole focus of the composition—a universal symbol of hope, peace and optimism.
Rendered in Banksy’s unmistakable stencil technique on translucent acetate, the bouquet appears almost to dissolve into the background. The wrapping paper fades delicately into the transparent support, lending the work an ethereal, almost weightless quality. This remarkable economy of means exemplifies Banksy’s ability to create emotionally powerful images through the simplest visual language.
Flowers occupy a special place throughout Banksy’s work. They first emerged as the unexpected “weapon” in Love Is In The Air, where beauty triumphs over violence, and have since become recurring symbols of resilience and compassion. By isolating the bouquet, Bunch of Flowers distils that philosophy to its purest form. No longer an object in motion, the flowers become an idea in themselves—a quiet affirmation that hope can endure even in moments of conflict and uncertainty.
Created during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the work also resonates with the atmosphere of collective reflection that produced Game Changer. While less overtly political, both paintings share a belief that kindness and humanity remain among the most powerful forces available to us.
Bunch of Flowers demonstrates that some of Banksy’s most profound statements are also his most understated. By removing the protester and leaving only the bouquet, he transforms a familiar motif into a timeless emblem of peace. It is a work of remarkable restraint, reminding us that the greatest revolutions do not always begin with acts of defiance. Sometimes, they begin with the simple offering of flowers.
