Banksy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Banksy
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Banksy art on Brick Lane, East End of London, 2004
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| Born | 1974-5 Bristol, England
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| Known for | Street art |
| Movement | Graffiti |
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Banksy is a famous street artist from England. His real name and who he is remain a secret. He has been active since the 1990s. His art often makes fun of things in society and politics. He uses dark humor and a special stenciling technique. His artworks appear on walls and bridges all over the world. Banksy's art started in the Bristol underground scene. He was inspired by another graffiti artist named 3D.
Banksy puts his art on public walls and creates physical art pieces. He doesn't sell photos of his street art anymore. But his public artworks are often resold. Sometimes, people even remove the wall they are painted on! A small number of his works are sold through his agency, Pest Control. Banksy also directed a documentary film called Exit Through the Gift Shop. It came out in 2010 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. Banksy won the Webby Person of the Year award in 2014.
Contents
Who is Banksy?
Banksy's real name and identity are still a mystery. In a 2003 interview, he was described as a 28-year-old white man. He looked casual in jeans and a T-shirt. Banksy started doing art when he was 14. He says keeping his identity secret is important because graffiti is against the law. Banksy reportedly lived in Easton, Bristol, in the late 1990s. He then moved to London around 2000.
Some people think Banksy is Robin Gunningham. He was born in 1974 near Bristol. Friends and old schoolmates have said this is true. In 2016, a study found that Banksy's art locations matched Gunningham's movements. Robin Gunningham was said to have used the name Robin Banks. This name later became Banksy. In 2017, DJ Goldie called Banksy "Rob" in an interview. In a 2003 interview, Banksy said his first name was Robbie.
Other ideas about Banksy's identity include:
- Robert Del Naja (also known as 3D), a member of the band Massive Attack. He was a graffiti artist in the 1980s. He is also a friend of Banksy.
- In 2020, some people thought former TV presenter Neil Buchanan was Banksy. Buchanan's publicist said this was not true.
- In 2022, a local politician, Billy Gannon, was rumored to be Banksy. He resigned because of the rumors. He said it was hard to prove he wasn't someone who might not even exist.
In 2014, a fake story spread online that Banksy had been arrested.
Banksy's Art Journey
Early Art (1990–2001)
Banksy began as a freehand graffiti artist in the early 1990s. He was part of Bristol's DryBreadZ Crew (DBZ). He worked with artists like Kato and Tes. He was inspired by local artists. His work was part of the bigger Bristol underground scene. He met photographer Steve Lazarides, who became his agent.
Around 2000, Banksy started using stencils. He realized it saved a lot of time. He says he got the idea while hiding from the police. He saw a stenciled serial number on a rubbish truck. Using stencils helped him become more famous in Bristol and London. His first big wall mural was The Mild Mild West in 1997. It shows a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at police.
Banksy's stencils often show funny and powerful images. They sometimes have slogans too. His messages are usually against war, big businesses, or the government. He often draws rats, apes, police, soldiers, children, and older people.
Art Shows (2002–2003)
Banksy's first art show in Los Angeles was in 2002. It was called Existencilism. The show featured paintings like Smiley Copper H and Bomb Hugger.
In 2003, Banksy had a show in London called Turf War. He painted on animals for this show. Animal rights activists protested, but the conditions were declared suitable. He also changed famous paintings. For example, he added trash and a shopping cart to Monet's Water Lily Pond. He also changed Edward Hopper's Nighthawks. These paintings were shown in London in 2005.
Banksy also showed his work in Sydney, Australia, in 2003. About 1,500 people came to see it.
Special Projects (2004–2006)
In 2004, Banksy made fake British £10 notes. He replaced the Queen's head with Diana, Princess of Wales's head. He also changed "Bank of England" to "Banksy of England". Some people tried to spend these notes. A small number of signed posters with these notes were sold for £100. One of these sold for £24,000 in 2007.
Making copies of banknotes is against the law. The Bank of England owns the copyright for its banknotes.
Also in 2004, Banksy made a print called Napalm. It showed a famous photo of a Vietnamese girl from the Vietnam War. But Banksy added Ronald McDonald and Mickey Mouse holding her hands. They look happy, but the girl is still screaming. Banksy made 150 signed and 500 unsigned copies of this print.
In 2005, Banksy visited the Palestinian territories. He painted nine images on the Israeli West Bank wall.
Banksy had a big show in Los Angeles in 2006. It was called a "three-day vandalized warehouse extravaganza". The show featured a real elephant painted with a floral pattern. This was to bring attention to world poverty. After complaints, the elephant appeared unpainted on the last day.
Some people, like Peter Gibson from Keep Britain Tidy, say Banksy's work is just vandalism. They worry it makes vandalism seem cool.
The Banksy Effect (2006–2007)
After a famous singer bought some of his art for £25,000, Banksy's fame grew. In 2006, a set of Kate Moss paintings sold for £50,400 at auction. This set a new record for his work. These prints were in the style of Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe pictures. A stencil of a green Mona Lisa also sold for £57,600.
In December, a journalist called it "the Banksy effect". This meant that other street artists were becoming more popular because of Banksy's success.
In 2007, three more Banksy works sold for very high prices at auction. Bombing Middle England sold for over £102,000. Girl with Balloon and Bomb Hugger also sold for much more than expected. Banksy reacted by putting a new image on his website. It showed people bidding on a picture that said, "I Can't Believe You ... Actually Buy This ...."
In Bristol, the owners of a house with a Banksy mural decided to sell the house with the mural. It was listed as "a mural that comes with a house attached."
In April 2007, Transport for London painted over Banksy's art from the movie Pulp Fiction. It showed characters holding bananas instead of guns. Transport for London said it created a bad atmosphere. Banksy painted the same spot again. This time, the characters wore banana costumes. Later, Banksy made a tribute artwork there for a young graffiti artist named Ozone. Ozone had died in an accident. Banksy painted an angel wearing a bullet-proof vest. He also wrote a message on his website about Ozone.
On 27 April 2007, a new record was set for Banksy's art. Space Girl and Bird sold for £288,000. In May 2007, Banksy won the award for Art's Greatest Living Briton. He did not show up to collect it, keeping his identity secret.
In June 2007, Banksy's The Drinker was reported stolen. In October 2007, most of his works at auction sold for more than double their expected price.
Banksy has also shared a "manifesto" on his website. It talks about how art can help people. He also used a quote from comedian Emo Philips about stealing a bicycle and praying for forgiveness. Some of Banksy's works can be seen in the movie Children of Men.
Banksy has said that some art shows selling his work are not authorized by him.
2008
In March, a couple in the UK decided to sell their mobile home. It had a 30-foot mural by Banksy on it. Banksy had painted it years before he became famous. The couple bought the home for £1,000. They priced it at £500,000.
Also in March 2008, a stencil appeared on a water tower in London. It was a child painting "Take this—Society!" The local council called it vandalism and removed it quickly.
In August 2008, Banksy created art in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was for the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Most of the art was on buildings damaged by the storm.
A painting of a hooded figure appeared in Birmingham, Alabama. It was quickly covered up and removed.
His first official show in New York City opened in October 2008. It was called The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill. It had moving animal figures in a store window.
The Westminster City Council said in October 2008 that Banksy's work One Nation Under CCTV would be painted over. They said it was graffiti, no matter who made it. The work was painted over in April 2009.
In December 2008, The Little Diver, a Banksy image in Melbourne, Australia, was damaged. Paint was poured behind its protective screen.
Banksy has been criticized for copying the style of Blek le Rat. Blek le Rat created the life-sized stencil technique in the 1980s. Blek has praised Banksy but said some of Banksy's work makes him "angry."
The Cans Festival (2008)
In May 2008, Banksy held an art show called The Cans Festival in London. It was in a road tunnel under London Waterloo station. Graffiti artists were invited to paint their own stencil art. Banksy invited artists from all over the world.
2009
In May 2009, Banksy stopped working with his agent. He announced that Pest Control would be the only place to buy his new art.
In June 2009, the Banksy vs Bristol Museum show opened. It had over 100 artworks, including moving figures. It was his biggest show yet. Over 300,000 people visited the exhibition.
In September 2009, a Banksy artwork making fun of the Royal Family was partly destroyed. It was painted over by the council. The mural was made for a Blur song in 2003.
In December 2009, Banksy painted four murals about global warming. This was for the end of a climate change conference. One mural showed the words "I don't believe in global warming" sinking in water.
A disagreement started between Banksy and another artist, King Robbo. Banksy allegedly painted over one of Robbo's tags. This led to many of Banksy's works being changed by other graffiti artists.
Exit Through the Gift Shop and United States (2010)
The movie Exit Through the Gift Shop first showed at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010. Banksy created 10 street artworks around the area for the movie. In February, a pub in Liverpool with a giant rat image by Banksy was sold for £114,000.
In March 2010, a changed version of Forgive Us Our Trespassing was shown on a poster. It showed a kneeling boy with a spray-painted halo. The halo was later repainted by another artist. Transport for London then removed the poster.
In April, five of Banksy's works appeared in San Francisco. This was for the premiere of Exit Through the Gift Shop. Banksy reportedly paid a building owner $50 to use their wall. In May 2010, seven new Banksy artworks appeared in Toronto, Canada.
Also in May, Banksy visited Detroit. He left his mark in several places. One artwork showed a boy next to the words "I remember when all this was trees." This piece was later removed and sold for $137,500 in 2015. Banksy also painted Follow Your Dreams in Boston.
In January 2011, Exit Through the Gift Shop was nominated for an Oscar. Banksy said he didn't like award ceremonies but would make an exception for this one. He covered Los Angeles with street art before the Oscars. Many wondered if he would show up in disguise. The film did not win the award. In March 2011, Banksy made an artwork of a girl holding an Oscar.
Banksy also created the opening scene for The Simpsons episode "MoneyBart" in 2010. It showed people working in bad conditions to make the show. Fox changed parts of the opening to make it less dark. Banksy later shared the original storyboard online.
2011–2013
In May 2011, Banksy released a print showing a smoking petrol bomb in a 'Tesco Value' bottle. This was after protests against a new supermarket in Bristol. The posters were sold to raise money for local groups. In December, he showed Cardinal Sin in Liverpool. The art piece was a statement about important social issues.
In May 2012, his Parachuting Rat in Melbourne was accidentally destroyed by plumbers. In July, before the 2012 Olympic Games, Banksy posted photos of Olympic-themed paintings. He did not say where they were.
In February 2013, a Banksy mural called Slave Labour was removed from a store in London. It showed a child sewing flags. It then appeared for sale at an auction in Florida. This made the local community angry. The artwork was later removed from the auction.
In May, the same mural was put up for auction again in London. It was expected to sell for up to £450,000. In September, a new mural appeared on his website. It was called Better Out Than In.
Banksy's art series in New York in 2013 received some criticism. Other street artists changed some of his works.
Better Out Than In (2013)
In October 2013, Banksy started a month-long "show on the streets of New York City". He created a special website and gave an interview.
On October 12, a pop-up shop appeared on Fifth Avenue. It sold Banksy art for only $60 each. Banksy said it was a one-time event. The BBC estimated the art could be worth $31,000. An elderly man ran the stall. He went four hours without a sale. Banksy made a video about it. Two of these canvases later sold for $214,000.
The mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, said he did not think graffiti was art. Another artwork was a sculpture of Ronald McDonald with a person shining his oversized shoes. This sculpture moved to different McDonald's locations each day. Other works included a video and a modified painting sold for $615,000. Banksy also made a fake New York Times article. The residency ended on October 31, 2013. Many pieces were damaged, removed, or stolen.
2015–2018
In February 2015, Banksy released a video about his trip to the Gaza Strip. He painted artworks there, including a kitten on a destroyed house. He said he wanted to show the destruction in Gaza. He also painted a swing on a watchtower. He stated that when neighborhoods are destroyed, it can lead to more problems.
Banksy opened Dismaland in August 2015. It was a large art show like a "bemusement park." It made fun of disappointing theme parks. Dismaland closed in September 2015. It was in Weston-super-Mare, UK. Artists like Damien Hirst showed their work there. In December, Banksy created murals near Calais, France. One piece showed Steve Jobs as a migrant.
In 2017, Banksy helped create the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem. This hotel is open to the public. Its rooms face the wall. It also has an art gallery. In 2018, Banksy returned to New York. A rat artwork was removed by developers. But other works, like a mural of artist Zehra Doğan, are still on display.
Love is in the Bin (2018)
In October 2018, a Banksy artwork called Balloon Girl sold for £1 million at auction. As the sale ended, an alarm sounded. A shredder hidden in the frame partly shredded the painting. Banksy posted about it on Instagram. The auction house said it was a prank by the artist. News outlets called it "possibly the biggest prank in art history." Experts thought the shredded art would be worth even more.
The buyer decided to keep the partially shredded artwork. It was renamed Love is in the Bin. Banksy's team confirmed it was real. Sotheby's said Banksy "created one" artwork, not destroyed one. They called it "the first artwork in history to have been created live during an auction." Banksy later released a video showing how the shredder was installed. He said it was meant to shred completely. He quoted Picasso: "The urge to destroy is also a creative urge." In October 2021, the painting was resold for £18.58 million.
2018–2019
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In December, a two-sided graffiti piece appeared in Port Talbot, Wales. One side showed a child tasting falling snow. The other side showed the snow was smoke from a dumpster fire. Banksy confirmed it was his work on Instagram. Many fans came to see it. The garage owner worried it would be damaged. A plastic screen was put up to protect it. In May 2019, the mural was moved to a gallery.
In October 2019, Banksy opened a "pop-up shop" called Gross Domestic Product in London. This was to help him in a legal fight over his trademark. A greeting card company was trying to take his name. Banksy said the shop would show he was using his trademark. The greeting card company said Banksy's claims were not true.
In September 2020, a European court ruled against Banksy in the trademark dispute. They said his trademark was not valid. The court noted Banksy's past comments against copyright.
In October 2019, a 2009 painting by Banksy called "Devolved Parliament" sold for almost £9.9 million. It shows politicians as chimpanzees. Banksy said it was a "record price" for his painting. The auction house said the work was very important for current political discussions.
2020s
On February 13, 2020, the Valentine's Banksy mural appeared in Bristol. It showed a girl firing a slingshot of real flowers. Banksy confirmed it was his work. The painting was damaged a few days later. Banksy also gave a painting called Painting for Saints to a hospital in May 2020. It was a tribute to healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The painting sold for £14.4 million in March 2021. The money went to healthcare charities.
In March 2021, an image of an escaping prisoner appeared on Reading Prison. Banksy claimed the artwork. The prisoner looked like Oscar Wilde, who was held there. The "rope" was made of bedsheets and a typewriter.
In August 2021, several Banksy artworks appeared in towns in East Anglia. They were called A Great British Spraycation. Banksy also created art for the TV show The Outlaws. A stenciled rat was painted over by a character in the show.
In November 2022, Banksy posted images of a mural in Borodianka, Ukraine. This confirmed he visited Ukraine after the Russian invasion. He also created six murals in other Ukrainian cities. One image in Borodianka showed Russian president Vladimir Putin in a judo throw. This image was later made into a stamp in Ukraine.
Banksy was again criticized for trying to trademark his "Flower Thrower" image. The European Union trademark office rejected his claim. They said he was trying to avoid copyright laws, which would make him reveal his identity.
On St Patricks Day, 2024, a Banksy mural appeared in London. It was behind a pruned tree. The artwork used green paint to make it look like lush leaves. It also showed a worker using a pressure washer. Experts think it would be hard to sell this piece because its location is so important.
In August 2024, Banksy claimed credit for new black silhouette artworks in London. They are part of an animal-themed series. The artist has not explained their meaning.
In February 2025, it was announced that Banksy's legal team will appear at a tribunal in the UK. This will be one of the few times his representatives speak in public.
In May 2025, Banksy revealed his newest artwork in Marseille, France. The mural shows a lighthouse.
Other Artworks
Banksy has created many other well-known artworks:
- At London Zoo, he painted "We're bored of fish" in the penguin area.
- He also left a message in the elephant enclosure saying, "I want out. This place is too cold. Keeper smells. Boring, boring, boring."
- In 2004, he put his art piece Banksus Militus Ratus in London's Natural History Museum.
- In March 2005, he placed his changed artworks in famous museums in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
- In May 2005, Peckham Rock was hung in the British Museum. It was Banksy's version of a cave painting.
- In August 2005, Banksy painted nine images on the Israeli West Bank barrier.
- In October 2005, Banksy designed six short videos for Nickelodeon.
- In April 2006, Banksy made a sculpture of a crumpled red phone box. It looked like it was bleeding. He placed it in London. It was later removed.
- In June 2006, Banksy created Well Hung Lover in Bristol. It was a humorous image of a man hanging out of a window. The city council let it stay after public support. The mural was later damaged with blue paint.
- In August/September 2006, Banksy swapped out CDs in music stores. He replaced the covers with his own funny designs.
- In September 2006, Banksy put an inflatable figure dressed like a prisoner in the Disneyland theme park.
- He makes stickers and designed the cover for Blur's 2003 album Think Tank.
- In September 2007, Banksy covered a wall in London with a French artist painting Banksy's name.
- In 2010, a guard with a balloon animal was painted in Toronto, Canada. It has since been moved and saved.
- In July 2012, before the London 2012 Olympic games, he created several pieces. One showed an athlete throwing a missile instead of a javelin.
- In April 2014, he created a piece in Cheltenham near a government building. It showed three men spying on a telephone box. This artwork disappeared in 2016.
- In October 2014, Banksy painted a mural in Clacton. It showed pigeons holding signs that were seen as offensive. The council removed it.
- In June 2016, a painting of a child chasing a burning tire was found at a school in Bristol. Banksy sent a letter thanking the school for naming a house after him.
- In May 2017, Banksy claimed a giant artwork on a house in Dover, UK.
- Banksy's Dream Boat was given to a charity called Choose Love. It was raffled off to raise money for refugees.
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Near Bethlehem – 2005
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The Grin Reaper
Damaged Artworks
Many of Banksy's artworks have been damaged, painted over, or destroyed.
In 2008, a stencil in Melbourne was covered with paint. In 2010, the Melbourne City Council accidentally painted over a rat with a parachute.
In July 2011, one of Banksy's early works, Gorilla in a Pink Mask, was painted over. This happened after the building became a cultural center.
Many works from his Better Out Than In series in New York City were damaged. Some were defaced just hours after they appeared. One was damaged by another artist, OMAR NYC.
In 2013, a person was found guilty of vandalism for damaging Banksy's Praying Boy in Park City, Utah. The artwork was later fixed by an art restorer.
How Banksy Creates Art
Because Banksy's identity is secret, it's not fully known how he makes his stencils. He might use computers for some images because they look like photos. In his book Wall and Piece, he says he started using stencils because it was faster. He could finish art without getting caught. He got the idea from seeing a stenciled serial number on a rubbish truck. He then created detailed stencils to save time.
In a 2003 interview, Banksy said his technique for public art is "quick." He wants to "get it done and dusted."
There is a discussion about who influenced Banksy. Some say he was influenced by artist 3D. Others say his work is like French graffiti artist Blek le Rat. Banksy was inspired by their use of stencils. He then used this style for his modern political and social art.
Banksy's stencils often have strong and funny images. They sometimes include slogans. His messages are usually against war, big businesses, or the government. He often draws rats, apes, police, soldiers, children, and older people.
In the art world, stencils are usually drawn or printed. Then they are cut out by hand. This helps artists paint quickly and stay anonymous. Some street artists argue that using stencils is "cheating."
In 2018, Banksy created a new piece live at an auction. It was a framed painting of Girl with Balloon. During the bidding, a shredder hidden in the frame partly destroyed the painting. This created a new artwork. The shredder was put in the frame years before.
The new artwork, still in its frame, is called Love is in the Bin.
In 2025, the BBC found some early Banksy murals. These murals are different from his usual stencil style. They were made for a youth club in his hometown.
Messages in Banksy's Art
Banksy once said graffiti is like "revenge" for people who feel powerless. It lets them take back some control. He sees it as a fight between social groups. He said, "If you don't own a train company then you go and paint on one instead." Banksy's art also makes fun of powerful groups. He hopes his work shows that power isn't always efficient.
Banksy's art deals with many social and political topics. These include being against war, big businesses, and unfair systems. He also talks about human feelings like greed, sadness, and feeling alone. Banksy's art usually uses pictures to share its message. But he has also made comments in his books. He once joked, "Sometimes I feel so sick at the state of the world, I can't even finish my second apple pie."
Banksy's work also criticizes how big businesses affect the environment. About his 2005 work Show me the Monet, Banksy said:
The vandalised paintings reflect life as it is now. We don't live in a world like Constable's Haywain anymore and, if you do, there is probably a travellers' camp on the other side of the hill. The real damage done to our environment is not done by graffiti writers and drunken teenagers, but by big business... exactly the people who put gold-framed pictures of landscapes on their walls and try to tell the rest of us how to behave.
Show me the Monet is a changed version of Claude Monet's Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies. Banksy added two shopping carts and an orange traffic cone. This painting later sold for £7.5 million in 2020.
During the 2017 UK election, Banksy offered free prints to people who voted against certain politicians. He said an emailed photo of their ballot would get them a limited edition print. Police started an investigation into Banksy for making an illegal offer. Banksy then canceled the offer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Banksy made art in his bathroom. It was about staying home to be safe.
Helping Others
Banksy has given many artworks to help different causes. For example, Civilian Drone Strike sold for £205,000 in 2017. The money went to groups working for peace. In 2018, his sculpture Dream Boat was raffled off. It raised money for the charity Choose Love, which helps refugees. In 2002, he made art for a Greenpeace campaign. He also helped local causes. In 2014, an artwork called Mobile Lovers sold for £403,000. This helped keep a youth club open in Bristol.
Banksy has also created many works to support Palestinians since the mid-2000s. This includes The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem. In July 2020, Banksy sold three paintings called Mediterranean Sea View 2017. They raised £2.2 million for a hospital in Bethlehem. The paintings showed images of lifebuoys and life jackets on the shore. This was a reference to the refugee crisis.
Banksy gave a painting called Game Changer to a hospital in May 2020. It was a tribute to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It later sold for £14.4 million in March 2021. The money went to healthcare charities.
In August 2020, it was revealed that Banksy had privately paid for a rescue boat. This boat helps save refugees in the Mediterranean Sea. The boat is painted pink with a picture of a girl holding a heart-shaped safety float.
Books by Banksy
Banksy has published several books with photos of his art and his own writings:
- Banging Your Head Against A Brick Wall (2001).
- Existencilism (2002).
- Cut It Out (2004).
- Pictures of Walls (2005).
- Wall and Piece (2007).
- You Are an Acceptable Level of Threat and if You Were Not You Would Know It (2012).
The first three books were small, self-published booklets. Pictures of Walls was a collection of other graffiti artists' work. These early books are no longer widely printed.
Banksy's Wall and Piece combined parts of his first three books. It was edited and had some new material. This book was made for a wider audience.
His early books had some grammar mistakes. The writing was often dark and angry. In Wall and Piece, the stories were edited to be less strong. The grammar was also fixed for a general audience.
Fun Facts About Banksy
- When he first started, Banksy painted mostly freehand (without stencils). He began using stencils in the late 1990s.
- He had his first interview in 2003.
- In 2004, he printed fake £10 notes. He replaced the Queen's face with Princess Diana’s face. The note read “Banksy of England” instead of “Bank of England.” This was against the law.
- He paid a unique tribute to Monet’s famous Water Lilies painting. Banksy added an old shopping cart and garbage to his version of the painting.
- In 2010, Time magazine named Banksy one of the 100 most influential people. He sent in a photo of himself wearing a paper bag over his head.
See also
In Spanish: Banksy para niños
- List of works by Banksy
- List of works by Banksy that have been damaged or destroyed
- List of urban artists
- Street installation
