Lenin on Skates exemplifies Banksy’s early brand of political satire, in which authority figures are reimagined through playful and subversive imagery. Here, Lenin supreme leader of Soviet Russia is depicted gliding on roller skates. The skates themselves, emblazoned with the Nike logo, symbolise the dominance of American capitalism, thrown into absurd contrast with the icon of communism.

This humorous yet unsettling juxtaposition highlights Banksy’s ability to collapse political symbols into everyday consumer culture, exposing their contradictions. Lenin, one of the 20th century’s most divisive figures, was celebrated by some as a champion of socialism and the working class, while others condemn his role in creating an authoritarian regime marked by repression and mass killings. By placing him in roller skates, Banksy punctures the myth of ideological heroism and reframes it through parody.