Banksy artwork which appeared in Margate returns to town

A Banksy artwork which appeared in Margate last year has returned to the town.

The piece – called “Valentine’s day mascara” – can now be viewed at Hornby Hobbies’ The WonderWorks for free after a stint at galleries in London.

The mural, which appeared on the side of a house in the town on Valentine’s Day 2023, shows a 1950s housewife with a swollen eye and missing tooth, apparently shutting a man in a freezer.

Olly Raeburn, Hornby Hobbies CEO, said the artwork had a “special place” in Margate’s heart.

The artwork had originally been put on display in the town’s Dreamland theme park.

Before its return to Margate, it had been at Yamaha Music London and Yield Gallery in the capital.

The work by the Bristol artist had been valued at £6m and the public was offered the chance to buy shares in the mural.

Anyone who owned one of the 27,000 shares, valued at £120 each, was eligible for benefits such as limited edition prints.