The real Banksy has finally been unmasked after decades of working in the darkness with a hidden persona – but it’s not the first time his identity has been brought into the spotlight
For decades, we’ve seen the art but never the artist – now it seems Banksy has finally emerged from the shadows.
While the elusive street artist has shared powerful, thought-provoking work for years, the man behind the spray has remained a ghost. But following an extensive, year-long investigation, Reuters now claims the artist as Robin Gunningham, a man who reportedly operates under the name David Jones.
The findings offer a double shock as not only is the mystery man reportedly a 61-year-old from Bristol, but he didn’t work alone. Evidence suggests a “famous painting partner” assisted with his most iconic murals. Banksy’s anonymity was the engine behind his work being sold for thousands, but the veil appears to have been been lifted.
READ MORE: Who is Banksy? Mystery man ‘identified’ after decades of speculation
To get to the bottom of his identity, a team of journalists spoke to dozens of insiders, experts, and found previously sealed U.S documents and police files attempting to expose the artist. They also spoke to people who saw him entering Ukraine in 2022 to create one of his famous pieces.
During the investigation, titled ‘In Search of Banksy’, Reuters spoke to locals reportedly who met the him at the time. They said a man named Dave Jones, along with photographer Giles Duley, crossed into Ukraine on October 28, 2022.
He was also reportedly with another man, Massive Attack singer Robert Del Naja – “David Jones” arrived and left Ukraine at the same time as the singer.
It’s believed Banksy and Robert spent a lot of time together and he also described the singer and DJ as an inspiration for his art. He paid tribute to Robert in an introduction for “3D and the Art of Massive Attack.”
Banksy said: “When I was about 10 years old, a kid called 3D was painting the streets hard. 3D quit painting and formed the band Massive Attack. Which may have been a good thing for him, but was a big loss for the city.”
Robert has been speculated as being Banksy in the past, when eagle-eyed noticed a series of murals appeared around locations Massive Attack were playing. Banksy has publicly credited the musician as an early inspiration, with the two reportedly sharing a close friendship.
Yet supporters became firmly convinced they might be the same person following a 2017 podcast where singer Goldie appeared to accidentally drop Rob’s name while discussing Banksy.
But this wasn’t the case, and according to Reuters. They said: “Banksy, born Robin Gunningham, later took the name David Jones. (Whether he still uses that name is unclear.) And Robert Del Naja, Gunningham’s graffiti idol, friend, and a man himself rumored to be Banksy, has on at least one occasion been his secret painting partner.”
It’s believed Banksy kept his identity hidden in order to protect him. Mark Stephens, his longstanding legal representative, has hit back but not outrightly denied the claim, saying Banksy “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct.”
He offered no further clarification. Whilst neither confirming nor denying Banksy’s identity, Stephens implored Reuters to abandon publication, arguing it would breach the artist’s privacy, disrupt his creative output and potentially endanger him.
Robin Gunningham was first unmasked by a Mail On Sunday investigation back in 2008, which claimed he was a former public schoolboy hailing from Bristol. The paper published a snap taken in Jamaica in 2004 showing a man with a bag of spray cans at his feet – identified as Mr Gunningham.
Banksy once used the pseudonym Robin Banks, and in 2017, DJ Goldie referred to him as ‘Rob’ during an interview on the Distraction Pieces podcast.
Banksy emerged from Bristol in 1974, and was part of the street art explosion that swept through Bristol during the 1980s before expanding his reach to London, LA, and New York. His estimated fortune stands at $50million (£39.6million), according to Celebrity Net Worth – although he channels much of this towards charitable causes, primarily retaining earnings from books and documentaries about his creations.
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