2019
Of the numerous feats that Banksy has accomplished over the course of his career as an international artist, activist and filmmaker, perhaps the most astonishing is that while he is among the most famous figures in street art, he has managed to remain completely anonymous.
There is a method behind the madness, however. Banksy maintains that he chooses to conceal his identity to make a more democratic impact with his work, the themes of which include criticism of world leaders, consumerism and terrorism.
Although not much is known about Banksy — he sent a photo of himself with a paper bag on his head to Time magazine for a profile — it is believed that he was born in the city of Bristol, in southwest England, circa 1974. Wit, irreverence, dark humor and activism come together in his work, which spans graffiti, paintings, prints, sculptures and filmmaking. (His film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, which focuses on another street artist known as Mr. Brainwash, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2010 Academy Awards.)
Banksy began as a graffiti artist in his hometown in the early 1990s. He has found fame for his stenciled and spray-painted pieces, which are most often rooted in anti-war or antiestablishment messaging, appearing in cities such as London, New York and Los Angeles and for his “stunts” that are intended to subvert and provoke the art world. One particularly memorable stunt took place in 2018, when, as soon as one of his paintings sold at auction — Girl with a Balloon, which fetched an extraordinary $1.4 million — it self-destructed and proceeded to partially shred itself. Banksy even snuck into the Louvre and hung his own version of the Mona Lisa in 2006. Despite his elusive persona and commitment to bringing art to the masses, Banksy is one of the most coveted artists at auctions across the world.
And his work is undeniably impactful.
At a record-breaking auction organized by Damien Hirst, Bono and others to benefit AIDS charities in 2008, Banksy’s Keep It Spotless — a modified Hirst painting — fetched nearly $2 million. In May of 2020, Banksy donated Game Changer, a painting that honors UK healthcare workers, to Southampton General Hospital. When it went to auction in 2021, it sold for more than $23 million at Christie's in London. All proceeds went to the National Health Service.
Find original Banksy art for sale on 1stDibs.
Kate Moss Postcard
By Banksy
Located in Manchester, GB
After Banksy, Kate Moss Postcard, 2005 Offset Lithograph on postcard. Rare Kate Moss postcard originally released in 2005 for Banksy's Crude Oils exhibition of remixed masterpiece...
Paper
Mr Brainwash, BasquiART, 2021
By Mr. Brainwash
Located in Manchester, GB
Mr Brainwash, BasquiART, 2021 Archival Paper Standard 15-Colour Hand-Pulled Silkscreen Print on Hand Deckled 30 × 22 in (76.2 × 55.9 cm) Edition of 61 Accompanied by a Certificate ...
Lithograph
Splash
Located in Manchester, GB
Andrew Scott, Splash, 2024 Giclee print on 315 gsm etching cotton rag paper 33 x 45 cm ( 13 x 17.7 in) Edition 142 of 250 Frame included Hand-signed...
Paper, Giclée
Dig
Located in Manchester, GB
Andrew Scott, Dig, 2024 Giclee print of 315 gsm etching cotton rag paper 45 x 33 cm (17.7 x 13 in) Edition 149 of 250 Frame included Hand-signed a...
Paper, Giclée
Firework - Andrew Scott Print
By Andrew Scott
Located in Manchester, GB
Andrew Scott, Firework, 2024 Giclée on 310 gsm Etching Rag Paper with hand burnt mount board 45 x 33 cm (17 7/10 × 13 in) Edition 227 of 250 Framed in open-grain black wood Signed a...
Giclée
Jamie Reid, Damn them all (Artist proof)
By Jamie Reid
Located in Manchester, GB
Jamie Reid, Damn them all (Artist proof) 2005 Archival pigment print in colours on wove paper, Signed, titled 'God Save Them' and inscribed A.P. in pencil, (35 x 30.5)cm x (13....
Paper, Archival Pigment
Common Ground 02
By Bisco Smith
Located in Boston, MA
Title: Common Ground 02 Date: 2025 Medium: Acrylic and spray paint on canvas Unframed Dimensions: 24" x 24" Signature: Signed Edition: Unique The main writing in the piece rea...
Spray Paint, Acrylic
Common Ground 01
By Bisco Smith
Located in Boston, MA
Title: Common Ground 01 Date: 2025 Medium: Acrylic and spray paint on canvas Unframed Dimensions: 24" x 24" Signature: Signed Edition: Unique The main writing in the piece rea...
Acrylic, Spray Paint
Static Love Stencil Art Print Son of Mr. Brainwash
By Hijack
Located in Draper, UT
Signed and Numbered by the Artist who is the son of Mr. Brainwash A six-color screen-print on hand-torn archival art paper. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist. Editi...
Spray Paint, Screen, Stencil
Seen Splash
By Seen
Located in Porto, 13
Seen is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative graffiti artists of all time. His unique style, incorporating elements of calligraphy and abstract expressionism...
Canvas, Spray Paint
Share 01
Located in New York, NY
Acrylic and spray paint on stretched canvas, wood aluminum chassis. Featuring the word "SHARE" as the main subject of this painting, Denis Meyers uses of of his own favorite and impo...
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Permanent Marker, Canvas
Banksy Barely Legal Set of 6 Screen Prints, Unsigned, 2006, Pest Control COA
By Banksy
Located in Aventura, FL
Banksy's Barely Legal is a set of six screen prints on paper named after the Barely Legal exhibition held in 2006 in a warehouse in Los Angeles. From the unsigned edition and each numbered 59/500 (there are also 17 artist's proofs). Published by Modern Multiples Fine Art Editions, Los Angeles, with Pictures on Walls and the publisher's blindstamp. Pest Control authentication certificates included. The Barely Legal Set includes the following: Grannies (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Sale Ends (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Applause (29.92 x 44.89 inches) Trolleys (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Festival (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Morons (22.05 x 29.92 inches) About the Artist: Banksy (British, born 1974) is a contemporary street artist and activist who, despite his international fame, has maintained an anonymous identity. Aimed as a form of cultural criticism, the artist often targets established social and political agendas with his witty illustrations produced with stencils and spray paint in cities such as New Orleans, New York, and Paris. “The art world is the biggest joke,” he said. “It’s a rest home of the over privileged, the pretentious, and the weak.” Although details of the artist’s life are largely unknown, it is thought that Banksy was born in Bristol, United Kingdom, c. 1974, starting his career as a graffiti artist in the city. Better Out Than In, Banksy’s month-long residency in New York during October 2013, featured a man hawking the artist’s paintings for $60 a piece outside Central Park. In 2015, Banksy opened Dismaland Bemusement Park, a temporary art exhibition that functioned as a theme park. After a 36-day run, its workers and materials were sent to the Calais migrant camp in France to build additional housing. Among the artist's most famous stunts include his shredded painting: When a painting by Banksy was sold at auction for $1.4 million in 2018, a mechanism was triggered to cause the artwork to partially destroy itself, resulting in a new piece titled Love in the Bin (2018). The ongoing question as to who Banksy is continued to reach the headlines when in 2017 Robert Del Naja...
Paper, Screen
