BANKSY // Girl With Balloon

Banksy, Girl and Balloon, 2003.
Stencil spray-paint on canvas, 40 × 40 cm. Edition of 25.
© Banksy.

First appearing in London in 2003, Girl with a Balloon began as a simple stencil on a grey wall near Waterloo Bridge. The image showed a young girl reaching towards a red, heart-shaped balloon, just out of her grasp. No explanation was given, yet the work’s quiet mix of hope and loss struck a chord with passers-by. Over time, the piece disappeared beneath layers of paint, but not before it had been photographed, shared and reimagined countless times. In 2004, the image appeared again as a series of prints, cementing its place as one of Banksy’s most recognisable works.

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ORIGINS OF THE MOTIF
"Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place"

- Banksy, Wall and Piece

First appearing as a stencil on a wall near London’s Waterloo Bridge in 2003, Girl with a Balloon quickly became one of Banksy’s most recognisable and enduring images. The work’s power lies in its simplicity, a young girl reaching for a red, heart-shaped balloon that drifts just beyond her grasp, and its ability to be interpreted as both hopeful and bittersweet. Though the original street pieces have long since vanished, the motif was preserved in a 2003 canvas series and a 2004 print release, securing its place in contemporary visual culture. Over time, Girl with a Balloon has evolved beyond its street origins, becoming a global symbol of love, loss and aspiration, while remaining firmly rooted in Banksy’s politically conscious and emotionally resonant approach to art.
- Girl with Balloon, 2002
  © Banksy.
- Girl with Ballon, 2003
  © Banksy.
- Girl with Ballon, 2004
  © Banksy.
- Girl with Balloon (Diptych), 2005
  © Banksy.
- Girl with Balloon, 2006
  © Banksy.
AUCTION PRANK
Banksy, Love Is In The Bin, 2018.
Created during Sotheby’s London auction on 5 October 2018, when Girl with Balloon partially shredded itself in the frame.
© Banksy.

On 5 October 2018, a framed version of Girl with a Balloon sold at Sotheby’s London for £1,042,000. Moments after the hammer fell, an alarm sounded from within the frame and the canvas began feeding through a hidden shredder, stopping halfway and leaving the lower portion in strips. The stunt immediately made headlines worldwide, with many calling it the greatest prank in art history. Days later, Banksy released a video revealing how he had secretly built the shredder into the frame years earlier, ready to activate if the work ever appeared at auction. Quoting Picasso, he explained his reasoning: “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge.” The partially shredded piece was retitled Love is in the Bin and has since become one of the most discussed and recognisable artworks of the 21st century.
- SIGNED EDITIONS
- ORIGINAL WORKS
- STREET WORKS