BANKSY NHS TRIBUTE SELLS FOR $23 MILLION
It was expected that the artwork will reach about $5 million, but this Banksy original eventually sold at auction for $23 million.
The artwork? A tribute to the National Health Services (NHS) workers in the United Kingdom. The artist? None other than the elusive Banksy.
The world-famous artist donated the artwork, titled Game Changer, to the NHS with the idea that it had to be auctioned off, and the proceeds donated to charities associated with the NHS.
The artwork, showing a young boy playing with a nurse depicted as a superhero, was donated by Banksy during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
He sent it to an NHS hospital in Southampton where it was met with a lot of gratitude and emotions.
The BBC reports that, when Banksy sent the hospital the artwork last year, it contained a note, which read: “Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it’s only black and white.”
While the artist’s real name is yet to be identified, he has been famous for leaving beautiful and inspiring street art across London and other big cities. Just recently, he painted graffiti art inside a London underground train.
The artwork was subsequently removed as the underground rail system’s management stood by its rule that no graffiti will be allowed.
Watch the TRT World video below for more on Banksy’s Game Changer artwork.
Image credit: Hypebeast