The artist reinterpreted Winston Churchill’s iconic portrait taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941. The work was first exhibited at Banksy’s first major solo exhibition, which bore the same name; Turf War.

In the work, stern-faced Winston Churchill is crowned with a grass-like bright green mohawk. The composition is ironic and striking: the historical leader is distorted by punk subculture. The only colour accent is the rebellious grass-green of the mohawk.

The work is based on an actual act of vandalism against a Churchill statue. In 2000, the “Reclaim the Streets” movement held a protest in Parliament Square. One protester attached a strip of turf to the bronze head of Churchill and vandalised the entire statue with graffiti. Banksy’s piece immortalises this act of political defiance.

With the title of the work alone, Banksy emphasises the view that all wars are fought over ‘turf’ or ‘territory’. He questions the absurdity of border and land wars. By giving Churchill a mohawk and ‘punk’ makeover, he ridicules Britain’s imperialist past.

The work is a satire that perfectly reflects the territorial greed of war.