Napalm is among Banksy’s most powerful and emotionally charged works. With it, the artist reaffirmed his political engagement and commitment to exposing the links between war, economic power, and the military-industrial complex. The image is a direct critique of aggressive capitalism, colonial occupation, and the devastating consequences these phenomena have on the most vulnerable.
At the center of the piece is a girl, depicted like in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph: running naked in terror after a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. Banksy places two seemingly reassuring figures beside her: Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald. The contrast is shocking: unbearable suffering on one side, and on the other, the most recognizable symbols of American entertainment and consumerism, representing multinational corporations promoting a cheerful, carefree world.
The choice is deliberate: the artist aims to denounce the indifference of large corporations toward the suffering caused by the policies of their home countries. The work does not merely recall the horrors of Vietnam but also speaks to more recent conflicts, such as the 2003 Iraq War. The message is clear: behind the innocent appearance of commercial icons lies a reality of exploitation, violence, and profit at any cost. Banksy invites reflection on how consumer culture can mask, and even normalize, human tragedies that should never be ignored.
The famous photograph, The Terror of War, was taken on June 8, 1972, by Nick Ut in Vietnam. The following year, Ut won both the Pulitzer Prize and the World Press Photo of the Year. The original image profoundly shocked audiences worldwide, showing the suffering of Vietnamese children without mediation. Fortunately, the girl survived despite severe burns to her back and now lives in Canada.