Who is Banksy?

Banksy is an unknown artist to but a few of his trusted friends. For years his identity has been a closely kept secret as he travels the world and leaves his iconic trade marks on buildings and public places. His work magically appears overnight, leaving everyone questioning why he keeps his identity such a secret.

Banksy’s work first became famous in the early 90’s, in which his well-known ‘guerrilla’ art appeared in Bristol, thought to be his home town and in London. Since then he has travelled to many cities such as Los Angeles, Palestine and Israel where he has become a well-known graffiti artist.

The reason his work gains so much controversy is because it often mocks political and cultural topics. He started out as a freehand graffiti artist as one of Bristol’s DryBreadZ crew, he starting using stencils as it was a quicker way of completing his work and avoiding being caught by anyone. His images are also humours and contain slogans about subjects of anti-war and anti-capitalism. His work has included spoofing British £10 notes by replacing the Queens head with a picture of Princess Diana’s head. He also replaced Paris Hiltons CD in shops around the UK, with a remake of his own, including song titles ‘Why Am I Famous?’ and ‘What Am I For?’ along with images of her topless and with a dogs head!

He has held many exhibitions but his recent one was at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, where it was the first show in which Bansky said ‘taxpayers’ money is being used to hang my pictures up rather than scrape them off’. He was involved with the exhibition but the staff did not know who he was amongst the crew of people who set up. www.banksy.co.uk

‘Banksy previously believed to be one Robert or Robin Banks and born in 1974/5 in Yate, Bristol.
He doesn't do interviews very often but was interviewed in 2003 by Simon Hattenstone, a reporter for the Guardian newspaper. He described Banksy as looking like a "cross between Jimmy Nail and Mike Skinner of the Streets" and turning up wearing scruffy casual jeans and t-shirt, sporting a silver tooth, silver chain and silver earring.’ (banksyunmasked.co.uk)