Nola
Banksy created Nola, or Rain Girl, to commemorate the devastation caused to New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As Banksy depicts the young girl discovering that her umbrella is itself the source of a downpour, he lampoons authorities’ negligent response to the natural disaster, which led to further grief.
Banksy Nola for sale
Sell Your Art
with Us
with Us
Join Our Network of Collectors. Buy, Sell and Track Demand
Meaning & Analysis
Banksy’s Nola, or Umbrella Girl, was first painted in the Marigny neighbourhood of New Orleans, USA as a response to the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina.
The work was part of a series of 14 murals which referenced the natural disaster, which wreaked havoc upon New Orleans in 2005. Its title references the city's affectionate nickname: ‘Nola’. The first Nola signed print was released later in 2008 in a limited edition of 289 signed works. The image portrays a young girl stood in the pouring rain, carrying an umbrella; in a characteristic Banksy twist, the girl extends a tentative cupped hand, only to find that the umbrella is in fact the source of the downpour - as opposed to a means of protection from it.
Now one of the most popular Banksy prints, the first edition of Nola featured white raindrops while later, larger editions comprised 63 prints featuring grey rain. In this edition, 32 prints featured neon orange rain, while 31 others rendered the same precipitation in a neon yellow. 66 artist proofs, issued around the same time, also feature multicolour rain. All of these works are numbered and signed by the artist.
