Is this ‘tree’ a new Banksy mural?

A street painting that has popped up in Finsbury Park, London, has got people guessing.

Could this be the latest work by the famous graffiti artist Banksy?

Banksy is an anonymous street artist who secretly paints murals, usually with a message behind them.

He often uses buildings or objects within his art. This one shows a big splash of green paint, on a wall behind a tree that’s had its upper branches lopped off.

But, if you stand in just the right spot, the painted wall now makes the tree look “green” again. There’s also a painting of a person, wearing spray-paint gear, standing as if beneath the tree.

Banksy is a graffiti artist who has painted all over the world.

Because he tries to remain anonymous, he usually does the artwork at night for people to wake up to the next day.

He often paints in London and across the UK, but also paints in places around the world that are suffering from conflict. His artwork usually has a political message about topics like war, climate change, or poverty.

Banksy’s murals aren’t usually confirmed until he puts them up on his website. Banksy expert James Peak said until then, “you never quite know” whether it’s by him, because he tries very hard to stay anonymous.

He reckons this painting could be by Banksy though – saying it looks like a “dead cert”, which means he’s pretty sure it is a Banksy.

James Peak says if it is a Banksy, his message is “clear”. “Nature’s struggling and it is us to us to help it grow back.”

Banksy’s art style has inspired other artists too, who have carried out similar work, so sometimes it can be tricky for the public to tell whether it’s a Banksy original.

For now, we will just have to wait and find out.