What’s Happening: Over the past two weeks, the elusive street artist has unveiled a series of animal-themed murals across London, driving speculation as to what they could possibly mean.

The Download: For nine consecutive days over the past two weeks, stenciled animal-themed murals were mysteriously appearing around London. The first was a mountain goat precariously perched on a building’s buttress. Others saw a trio of monkeys swinging on a subway bridge’s pretend vine; elephants peeking out boarded-up windows, their trunks almost touching; a gorilla lifting up a zoo’s gate to release a slew of animals into the city. Banksy quickly took credit for the cryptic menagerie, publishing photos of each on Instagram as they materialized. The stunt captivated Londoners, for whom finding the next work became a thrilling citywide scavenger hunt given how Banksy’s murals are often defaced or removed within hours of appearing. It also assuaged anxieties around the outbreak of anti-immigrant riots sweeping the country.

The array of wildlife was an unusually playful outburst for the Bristol-based artist, whose identity remains unknown and whose politically tinged street murals often champion urgent social causes. He offered no explanation about the works, so speculation quickly surged about what they could mean. Some theorized he might be likening the rioters to animals or commenting on humanity’s potential to destroy itself, ultimately returning London to nature; others linked the images to the climate crisis and speculated he could be building anticipation toward a major announcement once the series ends. Whether it’s a grand philanthropic gesture, “his new tropical soft drink or clothing brand” as one critic suspects, or nothing at all remains to be seen.

In Their Own Words: “It’s Banksy’s marketing at its best and most impactive, building an enormous air of expectation,” Paul Gough, author of Banksy: The Bristol Legacy, told The Guardian. “The work is instantly accessible. It’s rarely over-complicated visually, yet its simplicity—stencils and iconic designs—imprint themselves on your memory, but with a message that resonates because it is exactly attuned to global issues. It’s art with an edge.”

Surface Says: Londoners would be wise to catch the murals before more mysterious masked men haul them away.

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The Japandi interiors of the newly opened Hotel AKA Nomad radiate serenity. Even its statement staircase, a sinuous bronze spiral that commands attention in the lobby, gently dazzles rather than overwhelms thanks to a vision realized by Lissoni & Partners. The peaceful presence continues in the softly backlit mezzanine lounge, as well as into the wine bar. There, herringbone walnut floors, a fluted bar front, and painted brick draw eyes up to soaring ceilings overhead. Upstairs, guests can enjoy Empire State Building views from well-appointed rooms complete with upholstered Porro Shin beds and spa-like bathrooms finished with Moroccan zellige tile and Salvatori stone.

In Sicily, the hilly inland city of Caltagirone endures as a key production center of majolica and terra cotta pottery. One of its most rebellious practitioners is Nicolò Morales, an intrepid diver who often travels the countryside to collect minerals like manganese, copper, and cobalt oxide so his ceramics can mimic the wondrous seascapes he loves exploring. Their fluid colors and textures form the heart of a vibrant new range of furniture and decorative objects for Italian stalwart Paola Lenti, who happened to be seeking unusual finishes to complement her celebrated indoor-outdoor offerings already known for their exuberant color schemes. She immediately found kinship in Morales’s unorthodox approach.

Across glass-topped tables, ceramic side tables, and decorative majolica structures, the Sicilian ceramist’s discerning touch is deeply felt. The translucent glass-topped Primula and Helico tables are supported by majolica legs reminiscent of primeval sea creatures and ancient trilobites. Ditto for the aptly named Anemone side table, whose hand-sculpted majolica build is adorned with multiple layers of glazes that strew unique ribbons of colors along its ribbed surface. The Stelo system stacks hand-painted majolica elements to form endless variations of jaunty columns. Each color is deliberately fluid, made all the more impressive upon learning that Morales is colorblind—he’s learned to feel each shade’s intrinsic potential.

Alan Prazniak’s blurry landscapes piece together fits and bursts of chromatic moments from his own memories. A twilight-hued standout at his current Geary Contemporary show captures the sometimes glacial path toward clarity.

Here, we ask an artist to frame the essential details behind a recent work.

Bio: Alan Prazniak, 38. I’m recently unmoored—I’ve worked in the same studio in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, for ten years, but I’m in the process of moving it upstate to Neversink.

Title of work: Daphne Moon (2024).

Where to see it: Geary Contemporary in Millerton, NY, until October 6.

Three words to describe it: Careful, not cautious.

What was on your mind at the time: How to get that dirty lavender sky to work, how to make a nocturne with pastels, the mountains, glacial change, pressure, finding edges, balance, Kacey Musgraves probably.

Flavor Paper is a Brooklyn-based wallpaper company that specializes in hand-screened and digitally printed designs. Flavor Paper is eco-friendly, using water-based inks and PVC-free materials when possible. All products are print-to-order for easy customization. Residential, commercial, and specialty products are available.

Surface Says: This studio’s colorful creations are a feast for the eyes, and sometimes even the nose. Its range of clever and often humorous designs includes Pop Art–inspired scratch-and-sniff options.

Heinz’s efforts to climate change–proof its ketchup are not going well.

Flavor Flav creates a bronze clock necklace for gymnast Jordan Chiles.

Vogue leans in and gives us the Dogue campaign we’ve all been waiting for.

Researchers ponder if a 4,500-year-old pyramid was built with hydraulics.