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In precocious 2022, an ambulance pulled up to a bombed-out flat gathering successful this colony extracurricular Kyiv. Three radical emerged. One wore a grey hoodie, different a shot cap. Both had masks covering their faces.
The 3rd was much easy identifiable: He was unmasked, and had 1 limb and 2 prosthetic legs, witnesses told Reuters.
The masked men carried cardboard stencils from the ambulance and taped them to what had been an interior partition of an flat earlier the Russians obliterated the place. Then they pulled retired cans of spray overgarment and got to work. An absurd representation appeared successful minutes: a bearded antheral successful a bathtub, scrubbing his backmost amid the wreckage.
Its creator was Banksy, 1 of the world’s astir fashionable and enigmatic artists, whose individuality has been debated and intimately guarded for decades. Banksy is champion known for elemental yet blase stencil paintings with searing societal commentary. His enactment has generated tens of millions of dollars successful income implicit the years. Once an annoyance to authorities who viewed him arsenic a vandal, helium has go a British nationalist treasure. In 1 survey, Brits rated him much fashionable than Rembrandt and Monet. In different poll, his “Girl with Balloon” coating was voted the favourite portion of artwork Britain has produced.
Some critics judge Banksy’s anonymity is arsenic important to his enactment arsenic stencils and paint. The British property has tally galore articles implicit the years that tried to deduce his identity. Still, Banksy and his interior ellipse won’t speech astir it. Some person signed non-disclosure agreements. Others support quiescent retired of loyalty, oregon fearfulness of crossing the artist, his fans and his influential company, Pest Control Office, which authenticates his enactment and decides who gets the archetypal accidental to bargain Banksy’s latest pieces. When the bathtub mural and different Banksy pieces began appearing successful Ukraine, Reuters wondered astir the creator and however helium had pulled disconnected the stunt. Horenka was little than 5 miles eastbound of Bucha, wherever Russian forces had near down astatine slightest 300 civilians dormant 7 months earlier.
So we acceptable retired to find however Banksy did it – and who helium truly is. Weeks later, a newsman visited Horenka with a photograph lineup of graffiti artists often rumored to beryllium the creator and showed the pictures to locals to spot if anyone recognized him. Not agelong after, we heard that a celebrated British instrumentalist – 1 of the radical often whispered to beryllium Banksy – had been spotted successful Kyiv, giving america a mentation to pursue.
Reuters interviewed a twelve Banksy-world insiders and experts. None would remark connected his identity, but galore filled successful details astir his beingness and career. We examined photos of the artist, astir of which obscured his look but contained critical information. We aboriginal unearthed antecedently undisclosed U.S. tribunal records and constabulary reports.
These included a hand-written confession by the creator to a long-ago misdemeanour complaint of disorderly behaviour – a papers that revealed, beyond dispute, Banksy’s existent identity.
And successful the process, we learned however and wherefore the antheral down the sanction Banksy vanished from the nationalist grounds much than a decennary ago.
Reuters presented that antheral with its findings astir his individuality and elaborate questions astir his enactment and career. He didn’t reply. Banksy’s company, Pest Control, said the creator “has decided to accidental nothing.”
His long-time lawyer, Mark Stephens, wrote to Reuters that Banksy “does not judge that galore of the details contained wrong your enquiry are correct.” He didn’t elaborate. Without confirming oregon denying Banksy’s identity, Mr. Stephens urged america not to people this report, saying doing truthful would interruption the artist’s privacy, interfere with his creation and enactment him successful danger.
For years, Mr. Stephens wrote, Banksy has “been subjected to fixated, threatening and extremist behaviour.” (He declined to picture those threats.) Unmasking Banksy would harm the public, too, Mr. Stephens wrote.
Working “anonymously oregon nether a pseudonym serves captious societal interests,” helium wrote. “It protects state of look by allowing creators to talk information to powerfulness without fearfulness of retaliation, censorship oregon persecution – peculiarly erstwhile addressing delicate issues specified arsenic politics, religion oregon societal justice.”
Reuters took into relationship Banksy’s privateness claims – and the information that galore of his fans privation for him to stay anonymous. Yet we concluded that the nationalist has a heavy involvement successful knowing the individuality and vocation of a fig with his profound and enduring power connected culture, the creation manufacture and planetary political discourse. In truthful doing, we applied the aforesaid rule Reuters uses everywhere. The radical and institutions who question to signifier societal and governmental sermon are taxable to scrutiny, accountability, and, sometimes, unmasking. Banksy’s anonymity – a deliberate, public-facing, and profitable diagnostic of his enactment – has enabled him to run without specified transparency.
As for the hazard helium mightiness look of retaliation oregon censorship, Britain’s ineligible and governmental establishments look comfy with Banksy’s messages and however helium delivers them.
On September 7, for example, helium stenciled a provocative portion connected the exterior partition of London’s Royal Courts of Justice, a historically protected building. It depicted a justice successful wig and robes bashing an unarmed protester with a gavel. Two months earlier, the authorities had designated the pro-Palestinian radical Palestine Action arsenic a violent organization. The time earlier the coating appeared, astir 900 radical were arrested astatine protests against the ban.
Stephens didn’t reply to a question astir whether the mural was tied to that crackdown. In immoderate event, Banksy’s painted protestation against British justness appears to person gotten a walk truthful far.
Under section laws, graffiti is simply a crime, with penalties ranging from fines and assemblage work to (rarely) jailhouse time. The time aft the mural went up, London’s Metropolitan Police said it was investigating “a study of transgression damage” to the building. An probe remains nether way, the Ministry of Justice said. The mural was power-washed disconnected the wall, leaving down a shadiness of the image. In effect to a Freedom of Information Act request, the ministry said that arsenic of December, the authorities had spent £23,690 removing the piece. The enactment continues, it said: Next, specializer contractors volition usage laser instrumentality connected the stain.
The justness ministry declined to accidental whether Banksy was penalized oregon paid compensation. Stephens had nary comment. Some artists person questioned if Banksy, erstwhile considered anti-establishment, present enjoys peculiar attraction from Britain’s powers that be. In 2014, Vice Media asked: “Why Is Banksy the Only Person Allowed to Vandalize Britain’s Walls?” The communicative quoted David Speed, a thoroughfare creator who ran a British graffiti collective. “It’s precise overmuch 1 regularisation for him and different regularisation for everyone else,” Speed told Vice. “When thoroughfare artists bash it, it’s vandalism. When Banksy does it, it’s an creation piece.”
Contacted by Reuters, Speed praised Banksy as “a truly important creator of modern times.” Yet helium inactive wonders wherefore “one creator should beryllium capable to person carte blanche and everyone other would beryllium taxable to penalties.”
“Is helium supra the law?” Speed said. “The grounds would suggest that helium is.”
Some experts judge Banksy’s quality to usage the satellite arsenic his canvas is wealth successful the bank. One analyst, MyArtBroker, observed that the Royal Courts of Justice mural helped bolster Banksy’s marketplace value.
Although specified nationalist pieces “cannot beryllium monetised directly, they support visibility and authorship – qualities that support collector assurance precocious and request active,” creation concern tract MyArtBroker wrote successful a study connected the 2025 marketplace for Banksy’s work. Banksy’s “street interventions,” it said, assistance prop up request and prices for his creation arsenic a whole. One Banksy portion was sold by Sotheby’s for £4.2 cardinal ($5.7 million) past year, the study noted.
Banksy lawyer Stephens didn’t reply questions astir whether Banksy has been penalized for his exploits. But helium noted that immoderate owners are blessed erstwhile helium paints connected their buildings. “It appears that if radical find a Banksy added to their wall, astir of them telephone Sotheby’s alternatively than the police,” helium wrote. “The question of wherever the artist’s enactment sits successful the ineligible scenery is an absorbing one, and I’m arsenic bemused arsenic anyone else.”
This is the communicative of the art, commerce and paradox of Banksy, arguably the astir celebrated anonymous antheral successful the world. The travel to recognize him began successful Ukraine and took america to a billboard successful New York’s Meatpacking District, and the walls and auction houses of London.
The photograph lineup
For a 4th of a century, Banksy has created the content that helium tin beryllium anywhere, astatine immoderate time, and spell unnoticed. Searching for clues to his individuality feels “like a treasure hunt,” said Ulrich Blanche, an creation historiographer and Banksy expert. After the Ukraine murals appeared, Banksy posted a video connected his Instagram confirming the pieces were his. The footage besides showed a creator wearing a grey hoodie successful Horenka. It was filmed from down the man, hiding his face. We went backmost to the colony successful hopes that locals had a amended view.
Among the imaginable Banksys successful the Reuters photo lineup was Thierry Guetta, a thoroughfare creator who goes by Mr Brainwash. Guetta was featured successful Banksy’s Oscar-nominated 2010 documentary, “Exit Through the Gift Shop.” Guetta is French; Banksy has said he’s from Bristol, England. Given Guetta’s nationality and his relation successful the film, helium seemed a longshot candidate. Still, the thought that Banksy would covertly diagnostic himself connected surface mightiness acceptable with his estimation arsenic a prankster who hides successful plain sight.
Another candidate, possibly the premier one, was Robin Gunningham. The Bristol autochthonal had been “unmasked” as Banksy successful 2008 by The Mail connected Sunday. The British tabloid said its year-long probe had “come arsenic adjacent arsenic anyone perchance tin to revealing” Banksy’s identity. But it hedged a bit. Its screen featured a photograph of a antheral “believed to beryllium Banksy.” When the photograph archetypal surfaced years earlier the 2008 story, the artist’s manager denied it depicted Banksy. A 3rd creator successful the lineup was besides from Bristol: Robert Del Naja, frontman of trip-hop set Massive Attack. A graffiti pioneer known arsenic 3D, Del Naja hosted a 2013 accumulation of creation helium produced for Massive Attack. It was held astatine the London assemblage of Banksy’s erstwhile manager, Steve Lazarides. In 2016, a Scottish writer had recovered that respective Banksy thoroughfare pieces appeared astatine the aforesaid locations and astir the aforesaid clip Massive Attack had conscionable performed.
Horenka nonmigratory Tetiana Reznychenko told us she made java for the 2 men who did the bathtub mural and saw the 2 painters without their masks. As we swiped done the lineup connected a cellphone, Reznychenko shook her caput no. Then, erstwhile shown 1 of the photos, her eyes widened, adjacent arsenic she denied having seen the antheral successful the picture.
That antheral was Robert Del Naja.
The absorption proved nothing. But it made consciousness fixed immoderate different accusation we aboriginal discovered. We besides learned that the 2 men who painted the partition were escorted determination by Giles Duley, the antheral with 1 limb and 2 prosthetic legs. Duley, a documentary photographer, mislaid his limbs successful Afghanistan successful 2011. His Legacy of War Foundation donates ambulances to section NGOs successful Ukraine. After coating the Ukraine murals, Banksy publically thanked Duley for lending him an ambulance to question successful the region.
Duley had an absorbing nexus to 1 candidate. His photography has served arsenic backdrop visuals astatine concerts of Massive Attack, Del Naja’s band.
Not agelong aft the Reznychenko interview, we got different tantalizing lead. A root had stopped by the Kyiv Hilton during Banksy’s clip successful Ukraine.
“You’ll ne'er fucking conjecture who I met,” the root said. “Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack!”
We aboriginal learned from radical acquainted with Ukrainian migration procedures that Duley and Del Naja had so entered Ukraine. They crossed the borderline with Poland connected October 28, 2022 – soon earlier the Banksy murals began to appear.
But determination was nary grounds that Gunningham, Guetta oregon immoderate different rumored Banksy traveled to Ukraine successful that period.
That near a puzzle: Besides Del Naja, who was the different creator Duley took to Horenka? Del Naja didn’t reply to questions sent via his band’s manager. Duley, reached by email, said: “I’d permission that to Banksy’s team.”
The allure of anonymity
Some critics judge Banksy’s quality to overgarment astatine lightning velocity successful nationalist and evade detection is “a large portion of his work, oregon his astir important work,” said student Blanche. “This anonymity is simply a connection successful itself.”
His mastery of disguise began arsenic a mode of shaking the police, says erstwhile manager Lazarides. In an interview, Lazarides said anonymity served a applicable intent successful Bristol, wherever authorities enforced “draconian” policies against graffiti. “Banksy’s anonymity, to commencement with, was precisely that: It was to evade instrumentality authorities,” helium said.
Anonymity became integral to the brand. In 2010, erstwhile TIME mag named him 1 of the world’s astir influential people, Banksy appeared successful a photograph representation wearing a container over his head.
Despite specified power and popularity, astir of the world’s apical museums don’t show his work. Those contacted by Reuters politely declined to explicate why. One of them, Britain’s National Portrait Gallery, owns a photograph representation of Banksy successful a hooded overgarment and a chimpanzee mask. A assemblage spokesperson said the representation is successful its postulation due to the fact that “the creator himself is simply a British fig of taste and societal significance.” It isn’t presently connected display.
Banksy has evolved arsenic an artist, from coating thoroughfare pieces to making an Oscar-nominated movie to creating a edifice connected the West Bank and a satirical taxable parkland called Dismaland. He was speedy to usage the Internet and different integer tools to dispersed his work. Early on, helium registered a website wherever his squad posted online images of his thoroughfare art. Images that got the astir clicks were mass-produced and sold arsenic surface prints.
How overmuch would the revelation of Banksy’s individuality impact the worth of his work? Reuters contacted much than a twelve large galleries, museums and auction houses. Most declined to remark connected Banksy. Views disagree among those who spoke.
One of the largest Banksy dealers, Acoris Andipa, said his clients are enticed by the art, “not due to the fact that he’s masked, not due to the fact that he’s a Robin Hood-character.”
Gallery proprietor and trader Robert Casterline sees a imaginable driblet successful the marketplace worth of Banksy’s work. “It depends however helium spins it,” Casterline said of the mode Banksy responds to being named. “And it depends connected what helium creates adjacent and whether idiosyncratic wants to bent it connected their wall.”
Banksy is “not doing thing mind-shattering. Half of his paintings are sprayed stencils.” Even so, Banksy has “created thing amazing,” Casterline said. “He formulated a look that the media became enamored with. He created that mystique.”
That mystique has been monetized. In 2024, erstwhile manager Lazarides auctioned disconnected creation and idiosyncratic artifacts, including 15 burner phones erstwhile utilized “for contacting Banksy.” The telephone postulation fetched $15,875.
Reuters examined what Banksy and radical adjacent to him person divulged astir his identity. Much pointed to Del Naja and reinforced our mentation that Banksy was Del Naja, who migration sources told america was successful Ukraine erstwhile the murals appeared.
In past media interviews, Banksy talked astir his hometown of Bristol successful southwest England, known for its street-art and euphony scenes. Bristol is wherever Del Naja began to overgarment arsenic the thoroughfare creator 3D. Some recognition him with bringing stencil graffiti – Banksy’s trademark mean – to Britain.
In a 2014 interrogation with Very Nearly Almost magazine, Del Naja said helium grew funny successful the signifier due to the fact that of stencils distributed with records by anarchist punk bands. One set successful peculiar links Del Naja to Banksy. “I retrieve getting records from Crass,” Del Naja said.
Crass published its ain fanzines. One gave elaborate instructions for fans to marque their ain stencils. Decades later, Banksy offered akin instructions successful his ain publications. Crass printed its enactment nether its ain imprint, “Exitstencil Press.” One of Banksy’s self-published fanzines was likewise titled “Existencilism.” A Crass poster is featured successful a diorama of Banksy’s boyhood chamber that the creator created for his Cut & Run accumulation successful 2023. Like Banksy, Crass has denounced fascism and authoritarianism and advocated pacifism, feminism and environmentalism. The anarchy awesome yet became communal successful Banksy’s work. Today helium finances a vessel that helps rescue migrants successful the Mediterranean Sea. It’s named the Louise Michel, aft 1 of France’s astir celebrated anarchists. His “Devolved Parliament,” showing Britain’s House of Commons filled with chimpanzees, exemplifies his accomplishment astatine sticking it to authority.
A important clue
On Instagram successful June 2018, Banksy posted a bid of rats helium stenciled successful Paris and called the metropolis the “birthplace of modern stencil art.” He was referring to the May 1968 protests, erstwhile students papered Paris with posters made with surface prints, a assortment of stencil art.
Banksy isn’t the archetypal thoroughfare creator to usage rats arsenic a motif. In the 1980s, French creator Xavier Prou, who goes by Blek le Rat, utilized stencils to overgarment rodents astir Paris.
“Every clip I deliberation I’ve painted thing somewhat original, I find retired that Blek le Rat has done it, too, lone Blek did it 20 years earlier,” Banksy said successful a 2008 interrogation with Britain’s Daily Mail. That year, Blek said of Banksy: “People accidental helium copies me, but I don’t deliberation so. I’m the aged man, he’s the caller kid, and if I’m an inspiration to an creator that good, I emotion it.”
In an interrogation with Reuters, Blek expanded connected that view. “Does an thought beryllium to those who usage it oregon those who find it?” helium asked. “I’ve decided to deliberation that ideas beryllium to those who usage them, frankincense to everyone.”
Banksy has acknowledged similarities betwixt his enactment and Blek’s, but helium has cited different creator arsenic a stronger influence. In a 2012 post, the FAQ conception of Banksy’s website addressed whether helium copied Blek. Banksy answered: “No. I copied 3D from Massive Attack. He tin really draw.”
It was a notation to Del Naja, the creator who painted arsenic 3D, who stated successful 2014 that his inspirations included the punk set Crass, and whose aboriginal stencil work, though little refined, resembles aboriginal Banksy pieces.
Another imaginable hint came from a longtime Del Naja friend, euphony shaper Goldie. In a 2017 podcast interview, Goldie referred to Banksy by his archetypal name: “No disrespect to Rob,” Goldie said. “I deliberation helium is simply a superb artist. I deliberation helium has flipped the satellite of creation over.” The remark fueled rumors that “Rob” was a notation to Del Naja.
As frontman for Massive Attack, Del Naja has utilized his fame to item governmental and societal injustice, a taxable of Banksy’s creation and philanthropy. Protesting the Iraq War successful 2003, Del Naja was photographed holding a placard precocious supra his head. On it was Banksy’s representation of a smiling grim reaper.
In an interrogation with CBS television archetypal aired successful 2023, erstwhile manager Lazarides toyed with viewers keen to lick the mystery. “I was connected my machine and looked and I went Rob, Robin …,” helium said. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. That name’s retired determination and who says it’s true. Robin, Robert, Robbie.”
Lazarides continued: “Mr. Del Naja is simply a graffiti artist, and I would accidental arguably mode amended than Banksy.” Then: “Yes. It’s Robert Del Naja. And me, and a fewer different people,” helium teased, breaking into laughter. Then: “Well possibly I’m being superior and possibly I’m not.”
Hints similar that were portion of the crushed we scoured “Banksy Captured,” Lazarides’ two-volume relationship of managing the creator from the precocious 1990s to 2008. The books are filled with behind-the-scenes photos. The shots of Banksy obscure his face, but the pictures and substance are sprinkled with clues – including an anecdote from 25 years ago, erstwhile Banksy was arrested successful New York.
CHAPTER 2
Caught successful the act
NEW YORK
In September 2000, gallerist Ivy Brown gave Steve Lazarides and Banksy an earful astir her flat building.
At the time, Brown represented Lazarides successful his photography career. A billboard had been erected connected the extortion of 675 Hudson Street successful Manhattan, an architecturally distinctive brownstone with a triangular footprint akin to that of New York’s celebrated Flatiron building.
In an interview, she told Reuters she was “having a meltdown.” September Fashion Week was nether mode successful New York, and the billboard was an advertisement for Marc Jacobs clothing. The advertisement showed a young man’s caput alongside the words, “Boys Love Marc Jacobs.”
“I felt it defaced the building,” Brown said.
She took her guests to the extortion and hoped for help. “I was, like, ‘Look astatine that thing!’ You know, it’s like, ‘Yo B, emotion you to bash thing up there.”
Over the adjacent 3 days, Banksy hung retired astatine a barroom crossed the street. Brown said she often noticed him gazing astatine the ad. Advertising billboards had agelong fascinated Banksy. They are, helium erstwhile argued, akin to however immoderate critics presumption graffiti: a nationalist connection foisted connected radical without permission. “Any advert successful a nationalist abstraction that gives you nary prime whether you spot it oregon not is yours,” helium wrote successful 2004. “It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use.”
In September 2000, Banksy was shifting from coating freehand to utilizing stencils, a method suited for repetition and speed. But erstwhile helium climbed up connected Brown’s extortion to person astatine the billboard, helium painted freehand.
The half-finished representation resembled a billboard Banksy saw successful Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws.” In his 2023 “Cut & Run” accumulation successful Glasgow, the creator said the movie country inspired him to get into graffiti. In “Jaws,” idiosyncratic doctored a tourism billboard depicting a pistillate connected an inflatable raft successful the sea. The vandal added a shark fin and gave the pistillate bulging eyes and a code bubble: “HELP!!! SHARK.”
In a coating spree, Lazarides wrote, Banksy “doctored the Marc Jacobs Men billboard truthful that the exemplary had goofy teeth” and drew a “giant code bubble” that was strangely empty.
That’s due to the fact that New York constabulary caught Banksy earlier helium could finish.
In his book, Lazarides mentioned the arrest, though not erstwhile it happened oregon the building’s address. But by geolocating the gathering successful the photos Lazarides published, and by dating the Marc Jacobs billboard to September 2000, erstwhile New York Fashion Week was underway, we were capable to unearth constabulary documents and a tribunal record from the incident.
The contents of these records person ne'er been reported.
They amusement that astatine 4:20 a.m. connected September 18, 2000, authorities recovered a antheral defacing a billboard connected the extortion of 675 Hudson Street. Because damages exceeded $1,500, constabulary sought to complaint him with a felony. Among the documents is the man’s handwritten confession.
“The evening the nighttime of September 17th I had been retired drinking astatine a nightclub with friends erstwhile I determine to marque a humorous accommodation to a billboard connected apical of the spot connected Hudson st. Using a cardinal I entered the gathering wherever I had been keeping immoderate paints and utilizing a ladder I painted eyeshadow a caller rima and a speach (sic) bubble of the billboard.”
Within hours of his arrest, documents show, the antheral was assigned a nationalist defender. That afternoon, helium was released aft agreeing to temporarily crook implicit his passport.
“He got retired beauteous fast, and helium called me,” Brown recalled. “He was like, ‘Ello luvvie!’ I said ‘Yo, B! How did you get retired truthful fast?’ And helium said, ‘Female judge, nudge-nudge, wink-wink,’” Brown said.
“I realized that portion of his creation was getting retired of jail.”
Signed by the artist
The tribunal record shows helium would aboriginal station $1,500 bail successful speech for his passport. The felony charges were reduced to a misdemeanor complaint of disorderly conduct. He paid a good and fees totaling $310, and by aboriginal 2001, helium completed his condemnation of 5 days of assemblage service, the records show. On the bail form, helium gave his code arsenic 160 E. 25th Street successful New York, the determination of 1 of Manhattan’s astir eccentric hotels. Before his arrest, Banksy had lived for months astatine a clip astatine the Carlton Arms Hotel, which implicit the years has fto artists enactment for escaped successful instrumentality for decorating their rooms. Archived pages of the edifice website bespeak that successful 1997, Banksy painted a mural astatine the hotel. In 1999, the tract shows, helium finished an full room, 5B.
The enactment looked thing similar the Banksys of today. It was painted freehand, successful a rainbow of colors. The characters were cartoonish. The edifice tract attributed the works to “Robin Banks” – a play connected “robbing banks,” aboriginal shortened to Banksy.
Emma Houghton told Reuters she dated the creator for 4 years successful the 1990s, “just earlier helium was transitioning into Banksy.” In an interview, she wouldn’t uncover his existent individuality oregon however they met. But she recounted that successful written correspondence with her, the sanction helium utilized for himself evolved: from his commencement sanction to “Mr. Banks” and past “to Banksy.” In 2024, Houghton auctioned a fig of these hand-painted and signed cards, which fetched £56,000.
Robert Clarke, a erstwhile Carlton Arms employee, struck up a relationship with Banksy and wrote successful a memoir astir their clip unneurotic astatine the hotel. They bonded due to the fact that some were from Bristol, Clarke wrote.
The publication included a transition that would aboriginal onslaught america arsenic important: Banksy, Clarke wrote, told him helium was considering legally changing his sanction to “Robin Banks.” Reuters was incapable to find Clarke for comment.
When Banksy was busted successful 2000, helium wasn’t connected the New York Police Department’s radar, said Steve Mona, the now-retired lieutenant who ran the 75-member vandal squad backmost then. The constabulary had nary thought they had nabbed “Banksy” due to the fact that the creator had lone precocious begun employing the benignant and pseudonym that would marque him famous.
Given Banksy’s celebrity, the sanction of the culprit present takes connected significance. It wasn’t Del Naja who defaced the billboard atop 675 Hudson Street. The antheral who confessed was Robin Gunningham.
In summation to his signature, Gunningham is repeatedly named successful tribunal and constabulary documents related to the arrest.
The Mail connected Sunday had been close successful 2008 successful making the lawsuit that Gunningham was Banksy. In hindsight, Gunningham’s effort to fell his individuality began falling isolated with his September 2000 apprehension successful New York. Records of the bust existed and they contained his existent name. The books by erstwhile manager Lazarides wouldn’t beryllium published until 2019. But the photos and the details Lazarides included astir the apprehension enabled america to pinpoint wherever Banksy was apprehended and the advertisement helium defaced.
But however did proving beyond question that Banksy was Robin Gunningham quadrate with what we knew astir the murals successful Ukraine?
Sources told america determination was nary grounds that Gunningham ever entered Ukraine. So who was Del Naja’s coating spouse if Gunningham hadn’t been there?
We recalled a item from Banksy’s Carlton Arms days. As Clarke notes successful “Seven Years with Banksy,” the creator had erstwhile considered legally changing his name.
CHAPTER 3
On the trail
LONDON
In the years aft his New York arrest, Banksy became a phenomenon. His enactment seemed to beryllium everywhere. No 1 seemed to cognize who helium was, and galore successful the creation satellite were dying to find out.
But successful 2004, his anonymity enactment astir collapsed aft a run-in with a Jamaican lensman named Peter Dean Rickards.
Rickards was connected duty for the grounds statement Wall of Sound. Banksy had signed with the statement to nutrient artwork for medium covers. He and Rickards met up successful Kingston to enactment together. It didn’t go well.
“What we entity to,” Rickards wrote connected his website successful a now-deleted post, “are radical similar Banksy who spell astir spewing pseudo-humanitarian bullshit to explicate their ‘art’.” He wrote that Banksy “was conscionable immoderate wannabe-punk ‘stencilist’ with his caput stuck incredibly acold up his ain redneck ass.”
Rickards didn’t uncover Banksy’s name. But helium posted 21 photos of Banksy astatine enactment successful Jamaica, 14 of which amusement his look from assorted angles. In July 2004, 1 of the photos was published by the Evening Standard. The headline: “Unmasked astatine last.”
But the Standard did not person Banksy’s fixed name. And determination was astatine slightest immoderate question whether the antheral successful the photograph was Banksy. Manager Lazarides issued a steadfast denial, telling the insubstantial it was “someone else.”
Asked astir that denial, Lazarides told Reuters he doesn’t judge helium saw the photograph earlier talking to the Standard.
Rickards died successful 2014. It’s not wide what prompted his beef with Banksy, but his photos are unambiguous. We compared them to galore much from Lazarides’ books and to footage from interviews that Banksy, utilizing his pseudonym, gave successful the precocious 1990s and aboriginal 2000s. The antheral successful Rickards’ photos was Banksy.
Image comparisons amusement that Banksy often wore a bracelet and watch, ever connected his near arm. His hairsbreadth was brownish and bristly. He had glasses and an earring successful his near ear. Rickards and Lazarides besides captured successful their photos a distinctive tattoo connected Banksy’s near forearm. In July 2008, The Mail connected Sunday ran its Banksy investigation. Citing an anonymous source, the insubstantial identified the antheral successful the Rickards photograph for the archetypal clip arsenic Gunningham, an creator from Bristol who was calved in 1973 and attended the Bristol Cathedral School.
Archived copies of the pupil magazine, The Cathedralian, incorporate galore mentions of Gunningham. These see a comic portion helium created astir property 11.
Later, Gunningham earned schoolhouse awards for his artwork and was lauded successful the Cathedralian for his acting and athleticism. He “showed signifier presence” successful a schoolhouse play and was commended for “spectacular saves” arsenic a goalkeeper connected the tract hockey team.
A nimble creator with a theatrical streak: cardinal traits of Banksy, the persona Gunningham would embrace.
Curiously, aft the 2008 Mail connected Sunday piece, the way went cold. We recovered nary hint of Gunningham successful UK nationalist records. He had seemingly gone disconnected the grid.
But we present had a proposal astir wherefore determination was nary grounds of Gunningham visiting Ukraine. It was reinforced erstwhile we reached erstwhile manager Lazarides precocious past year. He told america we were pursuing a ghost.
“There is nary Robin Gunningham,” Lazarides said erstwhile asked astir the artist’s identity. “The sanction you’ve got I killed years ago,” helium said of Robin Gunningham. Searching for him would beryllium “a consecutive dormant end.”
“Life-wise,” helium said, “you’ll ne'er find him.”
Anonymity started arsenic a mode to dodge the cops, Lazarides said. Eventually, keeping the concealed became a burden. By the extremity of their partnership, Lazarides estimates helium spent fractional oregon much of his clip managing and maintaining the artist’s mystique.
“I deliberation it became a bully gag, and then, if you privation my honest, honorable opinion, I deliberation it past became a disease,” helium said.
In 2008, Lazarides said, helium and Banksy made a “mutual” determination to portion ways. In 1 of his past acts arsenic Banksy’s manager, Lazarides said, helium arranged a ineligible sanction alteration for his client. Robin Gunningham became idiosyncratic else, nether a sanction that could ne'er beryllium linked to him.
“I don’t retrieve whose thought it was, but I cognize for a information it was maine that acceptable it each up,” Lazarides said. He declined to uncover the caller sanction Gunningham took. “You marque a pact and you support your word,” helium said.
A concealed nary more
Lazarides did enactment that determination was nary hidden meaning, nary pun, thing peculiar astatine each astir the caller individuality Robin Gunningham took. “It’s conscionable different name,” Lazarides told us.
That offhand remark was encouraging. It acceptable with different mentation we had concerning the individuality of the different creator with Del Naja successful Ukraine.
We had compiled a affluent nationalist grounds of each things Banksy: his past statements, companies connected to him, and excerpts from books oregon articles astir him astatine assorted stages of life.
By searching that information and cross-referencing it with different nationalist records, we identified what we believed to beryllium the sanction Banksy took. It is 1 of the astir fashionable names successful Britain, truthful communal it helps him fell successful plain sight.
Although those documents are public, Reuters isn’t identifying the circumstantial ones used, successful bid to trim the chances of revealing Banksy’s code and definite different backstage information. The documents see spot records that found a caller sanction adopted by a relative, and records from a firm filing – handled by Banksy’s erstwhile accountant – successful which the lone 2 shareholders listed were that comparative and the caller sanction assumed by the artist.
We had already placed Del Naja successful Horenka, and witnesses described 2 men coating the Banksy mural there. Sources confirmed determination was nary grounds that Gunningham had entered Ukraine. But what astir a antheral by the sanction we believed Banksy had taken?
That sanction is David Jones. It’s 1 of the astir fashionable names among British men. In 2017, for example, determination were astir 6,000 men named David Jones successful the UK, according to information analyzed by GBG, an identity-data quality company. David Jones besides is the fixed sanction of David Bowie, whose Ziggy Stardust change ego inspired a Banksy representation of Queen Elizabeth.
On October 28, 2022, the time Duley and Del Naja entered Ukraine, a “David Jones” besides crossed the borderline astatine the aforesaid location, according to a root acquainted with migration procedures. The root besides told america the day of commencement listed connected Jones’ passport. It was the aforesaid arsenic Robin Gunningham’s birthday.
According to the source, records besides bespeak Jones near Ukraine connected November 2, 2022, the aforesaid time Del Naja departed.
Banksy, calved Robin Gunningham, aboriginal took the sanction David Jones. (Whether helium inactive uses that sanction is unclear.) And Robert Del Naja, Gunningham’s graffiti idol, friend, and a antheral himself rumored to beryllium Banksy, has connected astatine slightest 1 juncture been his concealed coating partner. Banksy wasn’t the Massive Attack frontman, whose 2024 clime enactment performance drew much than 30,000 fans to Bristol. But helium has go a prima performer successful his ain right. Case successful constituent is the chaotic 2018 Sotheby’s auction successful London of his iconic “Girl with Balloon.”
The coating had precocious sold for $1.4 million. When it went up for resale that day, the creation satellite was shocked to ticker the portion get partially shredded by a instrumentality Banksy had secretly built into its frame. That piece, renamed “Love is successful the Bin,” sold 3 years aboriginal for astir $25 million.
Art trader Casterline was astatine the auction and remembers erstwhile the shredder began to beep. He pulled retired his telephone to instrumentality pictures.
“Unfortunately, determination was 1 idiosyncratic lasting successful beforehand of me,” blocking the view, helium said. It was an eccentric-looking antheral with a wide cervix scarf and heavy eyewear. Oddly, the antheral wasn’t watching the coating get shredded. He was looking successful the different direction, observing the crowd’s reaction.
Only later, reviewing what helium shot, did Casterline announcement that the man’s glasses appeared to person a tiny camera built into the bridge. (Banksy aboriginal posted a video of the stunt, including shots of the astonished audience.) Having seen Rickards’ 2004 photograph of Robin Gunningham, Casterline is “pretty sure” it was the aforesaid man, thinner and older.
Casterline inactive has the photos. He is keeping them private, prevention for a tiny harvest of the man’s glasses helium shared with us. He echoed what galore accidental successful Banksy’s protective ellipse of friends, partners, collectors and critics.
“I don’t privation to beryllium the feline who exposes Banksy,” helium said.
