A new investigation by Reuters has reportedly uncovered Banksy’s identity.
The report, released on Friday, has identified Robin Gunningham, 51, as the popular street artist behind some of the most iconic artworks that have sold for millions of dollars.
Reuters said that Gunningham changed his name to David Jones – one of the most common male British names – in 2008 to avoid identification.
“It is one of the most popular names in Britain, so common it helps him hide in plain sight,” the report said.
As part of their investigation, reporters gathered information from various sources, including a trip to Ukraine, where Gunningham was photographed with locals, his falling out with Jamaican photographer Peter Dean Rickards, and a 2000 NYPD arrest report including a signed, handwritten confession.
Gunningham has previously been identified as the artist in a 2008 Mail on Sunday report.
Reuters reporters pieced together other forensic pieces of evidence as part of their investigations. They also debunked the theory that musician Robert Del Naja was Banksy.
In a statement, Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, told Reuters that his client “does not accept that many of the details contained within your inquiry are correct.”
The lawyer added that Banksy maintain his anonymity because he has been subjected to fixated, threatening and extremist behaviour.”
“[Working] anonymously or under a pseudonym serves vital societal interests. It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution — particularly when addressing sensitive issues such as politics, religion or social justice,” the statement concluded.
Reuters defended their investigation, arguing that “the public has a deep interest in understanding the identity and career of a figure with his profound and enduring influence on culture, the art industry and international political discourse.”
One of Banksy’s most famous pieces is “Girl With Balloon”, which went viral after a framed copy of it was shredded after being sold at auction, by a mechanical device he had hidden within the frame.
The piece was later renamed “Love Is in the Bin” and sold for US$25.4m (AU$36.3m) in 2021.
Image: Ultraskrip / Shutterstock.com
