By SHO TANJI/ Staff Writer
February 23, 2023 at 18:38 JST
The mural on a wall in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward on Feb. 22 shows a child and a cat on a cloud. (Sho Tanji)
Speculation was rife that a mural sprayed on a building wall in Tokyo was the work of mysterious artist Banksy, but it turned out to be a Japanese painting for a cat-related event.
The mural, featuring a child and cat on a floating cloud, bears a striking resemblance to the style of the anonymous British street artist.
Social media users widely shared photos of the mural.
But it was actually painted by HYKRX, a Japanese graffiti artist.
It was completed on Feb. 18 on the wall of the Fujiya Books store in Tokyo’s Meguro Ward.
Naomi Kadosaka, the owner of the store, said the mural is intended to celebrate an event for cat lovers scheduled for Feb. 25 and 26 in the Jiyugaoka district of the ward.
Kadosaka founded a local cat welfare charity that is helping to organize the event.
She said she is happy the painting has made headlines.
In the artwork, the child is holding a fishing rod with a heart tied at the end of the line.
The untitled work is “open to a variety of interpretations,” HYKRX was quoted as saying.
He finished the piece in a few hours, in Banksy style, by spraying the wall over a stencil.
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