Banksy

One of the best kept secrets in contemporary culture, Banksy has made a name for himself in both mainstream media and in the art world. Breaking onto the scene in the 1990’s, Banksy’s art is characterised by its original wit and its satire of capitalist authority. Predominantly working in stencil art and screenprint, Bansky’s cartoon style is probing and provocative. With over 10 million Instagram followers and public art spanning from Bristol to Bethlehem, Banksy is one of the biggest phenomena in the recent history of art.

Banksy’s Rise to Fame

Bansky’s art was first seen adorning the walls of buildings in his hometown, Bristol as one of the DryBreadZ Crew alongside fellow graffiti artists Kato and Tes. By 2000, Banksy had started stencilling, and his street art began to gain notoriety in both Bristol and London. Most of Banksy’s stencils, public artworks and prints convey anti-establishment and anti-war messaging and explore innocence and corruption with subjects that range from policemen and children to rats and apes.

International Success

One of Banksy’s most famous works is his Girl with Balloon series that started in 2002, first appearing on Waterloo Bridge and then making its way around London. Since then, other celebrated work includes, Gorilla in a Pink Mask, Kissing Coppers and most recently If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get; an installation piece on a tube carriage on the London Underground. As well as Banksy’s public works, he has also shown work in Tate Modern, Louvre, The British Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Ever political, in 2017 Banksy opened his hotel, The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, sitting opposite the wall that separates Israel and the Palestinian territories.