Who is Banksy? Everything we know about his identity

The brand new Banksy paintings on the aspect of a constructing in north London has been defaced simply days after it appeared after the elusive artist confirmed it was his work.

Photographs shared on social media on Wednesday confirmed two streaks of white paint protecting the inexperienced paintings on Hornsey Highway in Finsbury Park.

The mural additionally incorporates a stencil of an individual holding a strain hose alongside the underside of the newly painted aspect of the constructing.

Wanja Sellers, a Hornsey Highway resident who lives a number of doorways down from the mural, mentioned: “We’re so proud and delighted that Banksy selected our highway and selected Finsbury Park for his work.

“The intense inexperienced colors signify Islington which is beautiful and in addition, after all, St Patrick’s Day which is good and festive.”

Former Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn mentioned he was “delighted” to see the paintings in his Islington North constituency. He added: “Banksy’s come to Finsbury Park with a little bit of greenery in a spot that wants a bit extra greenery. We’re probably the most densely populated constituency within the nation and I’m simply delighted.”

Alex Georgiou, whose firm owns the constructing with the mural on, mentioned: “It’s fairly mad to be trustworthy, to come back down right here and simply to see all of the crowds of individuals wanting on the constructing.

“The query is, what do I do with it now? What am I meant to do with it now? I positively plan on protecting it on there and letting individuals get pleasure from it, everybody’s loving it which is nice, I simply can’t actually consider it nonetheless to be trustworthy,” he mentioned.

Georgiou mentioned there was not presently anybody dwelling within the constructing, which was on the lettings market. He joked that he would possibly be capable of enhance the value of the property, however later clarified he wouldn’t be trying to revenue from the paintings until a Banksy “superfan” wished to purchase the entire constructing.

It’s understood that the cherry tree in entrance of the paintings is round 40 to 50-years-old and in declining well being. The council’s tree service had been sustaining it for a while to assist extend its lifespan and would proceed to attempt to preserve the decaying tree alive.

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Has Banksy’s id ever been revealed?

Over time, there have been numerous theories and claims about Banksy’s id, however none have been confirmed.

Banksy’s intentional anonymity allowed him to function with out dealing with authorized repercussions for his usually unauthorised road artwork, which could be thought of vandalism in some jurisdictions.

It additionally allowed him to function nevertheless he happy with out concern of being adopted by followers or the media.

Learn extra: Banksy paintings offered at public sale for 3 times estimate by band who modified identify for piece

Many have tried to guess who the artist is and the overall assumption is he lives in or close to Bristol, however apart from that little or no was recognized about him.

Within the recording of The Banksy Story (obtainable on BBC Radio 4), he described himself as a “painter and decorator” and explains why he likes to connect artworks to buildings just like the Louvre, saying: “You don’t wish to get caught in the identical line of labor your complete life lengthy, do you?”

The podcast was the most recent clue as to the id of the elusive artist, after a village pub close to Glastonbury was rumoured to have been purchased by him and refurbished to the tune of £1m.

On the time Owain Powell, who runs the The Crown in Pilton, Somerset, with accomplice Rowena Draper, denied Banksy’s involvement.

What’s Banksy’s actual identify and the way has he remained nameless?

Final November, it emerged that Banksy revealed his actual identify in a newly unearthed BBC interview from 2003.

Former BBC reporter Nigel Wrench interviewed the famend road artist forward of the 2003 Turf Warfare present in East London, the place he was heard confirming his first identify.

Wrench requested Banksy if he might embody his actual identify within the interview, asking the artist if he’s known as Robert Banks, during which he replied “ It’s Robbie.”

In keeping with the recording, his actual identify is Robert Banks, however since rising to the scene within the early Nineties, he has at all times chosen to maintain his id a mystery- usually sporting masks within the uncommon interviews he does.

He additionally by no means reveals the place he will probably be doing his subsequent paintings, which is usually solely seen after members of the general public flow into them on social media.

How does Banksy make cash?

Banksy generates earnings by means of numerous means, regardless of his nameless persona and unconventional strategy.

A part of his persona even rejects the idea of “business success” and has up to now inspired individuals to not purchase his work.

Talking to Village Voice in 2013, the artist mentioned: “Graffiti artwork has a tough sufficient life as it’s, earlier than you add hedge-fund managers wanting to cut it out and grasp it over the hearth.

“For the sake of protecting all road artwork the place it belongs, I’d encourage individuals to not purchase something by anyone, until it was created on the market within the first place.”

Regardless of this, he has nonetheless seemingly made a big sum of cash from his work.

Learn extra: Artwork fan who pushed Banksy to make a bit in Herne Bay ‘heartbroken’ after work destroyed by builders

He has printed a number of books in his time, together with best-seller Wall and Piece and certain generates royalties from that.

Banksy has additionally directed an award-winning documentary known as Exit By way of The Reward Store, exploring fashionable and underground artwork, which generated greater than £3m in revenue.

Once in a while, Banksy has provided the acquisition of a few of his artwork by means of Pest Management, which is the one manner he approves of its sale.

His current Lower & Run exhibition in Glasgow, attracted about 180,000 guests, throughout its 10-week present – his first solo present in 14 years.

The place is Banksy from and the way a lot is he price?

Though it’s arduous to know the place an nameless artist is from he rose to fame within the early Nineties with spray-painted murals on partitions in Bristol and has stayed linked to it ever since.

The newest Mail report means that Banksy is Bristol-born, 53-year-old and public school-educated.

Banksy’s artwork is all around the world in London, New York Metropolis, Paris, Bethlehem and elsewhere.

It’s troublesome to guess how a lot the artist is price, however his creations are estimated to be price almost £40m.

Learn extra: Banksy large seagull mural ‘price tens of millions’ faraway from home

Nevertheless, this valuation is predicated on the sale of his artwork which he has not condoned, and the income often go to the individuals who owned the positioning the place the artwork was situated.

A few of the income of Banksy’s artwork could have made its manner again to him however nobody is aware of for positive.

Is Banksy married?

Though by no means revealed publicly, Banksy followers have recognized Pleasure Millward, who runs a foyer group that campaigns on behalf of charities, as a possible candidate for his spouse.

She is married to Robin Gunningham, who has a number of instances been named because the almost definitely particular person to be Banksy, together with the most recent report.

Millward and Gunningham preserve an especially personal life and little or no is understood about them.

Whether or not it is a private alternative, or as a result of they’re sick of the hypothesis round supposedly being Banksy and Banksy’s spouse or if Gunningham is in actual fact Banksy, we could by no means know.