Who Is Banksy?
Nobody knows for certain who Banksy is. The British street artist has kept his identity secret for over two decades, even as his work sells for millions.
The mystery is not an accident. It is central to how Banksy works, and probably to staying out of court.
Why stay anonymous
Banksy began as a graffiti artist in Bristol, and graffiti is, legally, vandalism. Anonymity protects him from prosecution for the very work that made his name.
It also feeds the myth. An invisible artist who appears overnight on a wall and vanishes is far more compelling than a face on a magazine cover.
The main theory: Robin Gunningham
The most widely reported candidate is a man named Robin Gunningham, born in Bristol around 1973, identified by journalists who traced his movements.
In 2016 a team of scientists used a method called geographic profiling, mapping the locations of Banksy works against addresses, and found the results pointed strongly toward Gunningham.
Other names in the frame
Another popular theory links Banksy to Robert Del Naja of the band Massive Attack, partly because new works sometimes appeared in cities where the band was touring.
Some suspect Banksy is not one person at all but a small team working under a single name. None of it has ever been confirmed.
The stunts that built the legend
Banksy has staged elaborate projects that keep the world guessing, from a grim seaside theme park he called Dismaland to a hotel beside the wall in Bethlehem with, he joked, the worst view in the world.
He gives almost no interviews, never shows his face, and times new works to land in the news, proving that careful anonymity can be as powerful as any signature.
Common questions about Banksy's identity
Is his identity known?
No, it has never been officially confirmed.
Who is the main suspect?
A Bristol man named Robin Gunningham.
Why hide?
Graffiti is illegal, and the mystery is part of the appeal.
How is his work verified?
Through a body he set up called Pest Control.
The artist who controls his own ghost
Banksy authenticates his real works through an office called Pest Control, so he can stay invisible and still control his market, a neat trick no other major artist has pulled off. More on his work in the Banksy guide.