Banksy salutes superhero healthcare workers with an earnest gift to Southampton hospital

In his last artwork, Banksy confessed to working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic, giving his admirers a rare sneak peek into his private space. The elusive artist has been forced to take a hiatus from his subversive street art but has still managed to capture the pervasive mood with his latest piece dedicated to healthcare workers. 

The one-metre square canvas artwork titled Game Changer was sent to an NHS Foundation Trust Hospital in Southampton and went on display for staff and patients as it was unveiled on Banksy's Instagram on Wednesday, May 6. The monochromatic piece pays tribute to thousands of frontline healthcare workers worldwide and will be auctioned to raise money for charity later in the year, as per international media reports. The artwork has been valued over $6.1 million by an art curation website. 

Take a look at it here: 

Read: Banksy's Famous 'Girl With A Pierced Eardrum' Gets Coronavirus Retouching Amid Pandemic

'Painting for Saints' 

According to international media reports, Banksy left a note for the hospital workers appreciating their good work and hoping that his artwork "brightens up the place even if it's only black and white".  

The monochromatic piece shows a boy dressed in dungarees playing with a nurse superhero figurine. The nurse is seen wearing a facemask and an apron with a red cross as she flies with an arm raised in the air and a cape fluttering behind her. In the corner of the canvas is a bin with discarded figures of batman and spiderman, speaking volumes about the changing perceptions of superheroes in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. 

The hospital was quick to acknowledge Banky's intimate gesture of gratitude and has dubbed the artwork 'Painting for Saints', referencing it to Southampton's Premier League football team affectionately known as 'The Saints'. Paula Head, the Chief Executive University Hospital Southampton, tweeted the Banksy's canvas calling it "an inspirational backdrop to pause and reflect in these unprecedented times."

The hospital staff has also been clicking pictures with Banksy's Game Changer, thanking the artist for boosting their morale.

Read: Banksy Unveils His Latest 'rat-infested' Graffiti As He Works From Bathroom Amid Lockdown

Banksy's Girl given a facemask

About two weeks ago, Banksy's harbourside mural was given a coronavirus retouching as she was spotted with a blue surgical face mask similar to those worn by health care workers. The anonymous British artist's Girl with a Pierced Eardrum was said to bear the 'signs of our times' but it couldn't be established if Banksy put the face mask on the artwork himself. 

Read: Banksy's Latest Valentine's Day Graffiti Depicts 'innocence And Violence'

Banksy's 'rat-infested' Graffiti

The Game Changer is Banksy's second artwork since the United Kingdom went into lockdown. His first quarantine artwork featured his iconic charcoal stencils rats having a ball in his bathroom — squirting toothpaste, hanging from light fixtures, swinging form towel hooks, wheeling on toilet roll, and even taking a leak on the toilet seat. The artist, in a tongue in cheek note, mentioned that his 'wife hates it when he works from home' as he unveiled the graffiti on Instagram. 

Read: 10 Influential Artworks By The Elusive Graffiti Painter Banksy To Beat Quarantine Blues