Who is hiding behind Banksy? All clues to the identity of the street artist

The British street artist Banksy , whose works dominate multi-million dollar auctions and amaze entire cities, remains hidden even in the shadow of fame.

But who is really behind the pseudonym Banksy? Who is Banksy?

This question always looms over his works and repeatedly comes to the fore whenever new works by the mysterious graffiti artist appear, as recently at the London Zoo and the Royal Courts of Justice.

The mystery surrounding Banksy's identity

Banksy's art is hard to ignore. His provocative images not only adorn walls in London and numerous other major cities around the world, but also find their place in renowned galleries worldwide.

His works, often categorized as temporary art, are characterized by sharp social and political commentary in Banksy's distinctive stencil technique . He has staged spectacular actions, such as in 2003 at Tate Britain , where he disguised himself as a pensioner to smuggle one of his works into the gallery, or in 2004 at the Musée du Louvre . He manages, authenticates, and sells his artworks not publicly, but through his own agency, Pest Control .

Despite his cultural significance and commercial success, Banksy's identity remains a mystery . The enigma surrounding the artist is so strong that even experts, in their research, have been unable to find a definitive answer. They have gathered clues in the form of videos, newspaper articles, and interviews with Spiegel magazine in an attempt to shed light on the matter. The question remains, however, why it is so difficult to identify Banksy.

In our analysis, we conducted our own in-depth research and compared it with reports in other media.

Anonymity as a central aspect of Banksy's artistic and political aesthetics

As an "art guerrilla" or "rebel," he empowers himself to target powerful institutions, consumer society, and social injustice. His anonymity allows him to freely express his opinion without fear of direct consequences or reprisals, especially since his art is often illegal.

The anonymity of his work amplifies the political message, acting as a catalyst. The lack of personalization focuses attention on the artwork itself and its message. Banksy has explained his fame with quotes such as "Any fame is a by-product of making something that means something" and "Remember, it's always easier to get forgiveness than permission .

Originally intended as a protective mechanism, anonymity has evolved over time into a conceptual framework that fosters the global personality cult surrounding Banksy while simultaneously increasing his market value.

However, political opposition now stands in stark contrast to his commercial success. Although Banksy has rhetorically positioned himself against the establishment by saying that "copyright is for losers ," he nevertheless created a legal entity called Pest Control to protect his vast fortune and copyrights. Defending this economic brand is already leading to complex legal battles that threaten the street artist's anonymity.

Nevertheless, there are various theories about Banksy's identity. From a renowned London street artist to a woman or a collective of artists operating behind the name Banksy – the speculations are manifold.

The facts – What is known about the artist's identity?

The confirmed information about Banksy's origins proves that the artist has his roots in the English city of Bristol . There, in the 1990s, he began leaving his graffiti in the urban landscape as an up-and-coming artist. Bristol's creative scene is the reason why the city has produced so many musicians and artists.

Banksy's career began in the 1990s; he started out with freehand graffiti art DryBreadZ crew before switching to stencil techniques. Over time, however, he evolved into an artist with more politically charged works, eventually becoming the street artist we know and admire today.

A masterpiece from the early stages of his career is the large-scale stencil mural "The Mild Mild West ," created in 1999 in Stokes Croft, Bristol. The artwork's gentle tone is conveyed by the image of a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three riot police officers.

The artist completed the work within three days in daylight, and it can still be admired in the city today, along with other works of art from his pen.

Swindle magazine in 2006, Banksy once said:

I come from a relatively small town in southern England. When I was about ten years old, a boy named 3D was painting all over the streets. I think he'd been to New York and was the first to bring spray paint to Bristol. I grew up with spray paint on the streets, long before I ever saw it in a magazine or on a computer

3D stopped painting and formed the band Massive Attack, which was perhaps good for him, but a great loss for the city. Graffiti was something we all loved at school. We did it on the bus on the way home from school. Everyone did it.”

The only things that are definitely genuine are those that Banksy himself has authenticated website , in his books and on his Instagram channel @banksy

What theories exist regarding Banksy's identity?

There are many theories about Banksy's identity. The most outlandish ideas and speculations circulate on social media.

Let's focus on the most popular, persistent, and likely ones.

Theory #1: White, under 50 years old, red-haired

Ulrich Blanché , a renowned art historian, is considered an expert on Banksy. In June 2022, NDR broadcast an interview with him in which he discussed the mystery surrounding the artist.

Blanché has already written several books about Banksy and concluded from numerous interviews from the 80s and 90s that he is most likely a white man under 50 years old.

It is believed that this man may have been a redhead and worked as a street painter and festival truck painter in the 1990s before disappearing into anonymity. It is possible that he also had a cleft lip and underwent facial surgery, but this information is unconfirmed and could be false.

Theory #2: Robin Gunningham

The most widely accepted theory is that the creator of Banksy's artwork is none other than Robin Gunningham . Gunningham was born in 1973 in Yate, a town near Bristol, and many of his former classmates firmly believe he is the real Banksy.

According to his former school friends, Gunningham was always a gifted artist who frequently produced cartoons. It is believed that he began his career under the name "Robin Banks ," which later evolved into "Banksy .

Banksy himself has confirmed that his love of drawing began during his school days. A photograph of Gunningham, taken in Jamaica, shows him with a spray can and stencils. This has further fueled speculation and led many people to believe that Robin Gunningham is indeed Banksy.

There is a strong rumor that an original work by Robin Gunningham, believed to be the only piece signed by him, was auctioned in 2018. The price of £4,000 seems fair for an otherwise unknown artist. The work is an illustrated record sleeve for the album “Oh My God It's Cheeky Clown” by the Bristol ska band Mother Samosa and shows similarities to Banksy's earlier graffiti style .

The QMUL study

In 2016, criminologists at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) attempted to establish a link between Gunningham and Banksy's works in London and Bristol using geographic profiling . Researchers at the London university used Banksy's artworks as their data source, specifically 140 artworks in London and Bristol.

The results of the QMUL study showed a statistically significant correlation between the peaks of the geoprofiles and the known addresses associated with Robin Gunningham.

The model's performance is measured by the Hit Score Percentage (HS%) , which indicates what percentage of the search area would need to be searched to locate the perpetrator. A lower HS% indicates higher precision.

Summary of QMUL geoprofiling results (Hauge et al., 2016)

City	Gunningham-associated place	Function of the place	Hit Score Percentage (HS%)	Classification of the geoprofile peak
London	Old Street Area (Millward)	Former residential address of the wife	0.7%	Highest probability (in the top 1%)
London	Great North Road Area (Millward)	Former residential address of the wife	3.8%	In the top 10% of the geoprofile
Bristol	Easton Home	Gunningham's former residence	5.5%	In the top 10% of the geoprofile
Bristol	Baptist Mills Primary School	Former sports venue	6.8%	In the top 10% of the geoprofile

The method of “geographic profiling” is frequently used to solve serial crimes. Crime scenes and other factors are stored in a database to determine the possible residence of the perpetrator.

The results of the investigation indicate a high probability that Banksy is indeed Robin Gunningham from Bristol.”

Particularly in London, the addresses of Gunningham's wife, Joy Millward , fell into the highest probability ranges, with the Old Street address exhibiting a remarkably low HS% of 0.7 percent. This means that a search strategy informed by the geoprofile would locate this address almost immediately.

These findings support the theory that Robin Gunningham is the person behind Banksy. The spatial patterns suggest that Banksy's activity was closely tied to his personal and familial geographical anchor points and employed a commuting strategy between his hometown of Bristol and his main activity center in London. The study's authors themselves stated that the analysis supports the theory, although they could not draw an absolute conclusion due to a lack of other serious suspects.

The legal response and its implications

The credibility of the Gunningham hypothesis was subsequently strengthened by the reaction of Banksy's legal team. The planned publication of the QMUL study in the Journal of Spatial Science in 2016 was blocked after Banksy's lawyers intervened (see Artlyst * ).

Banksy's legal department reportedly contacted QMUL staff with concerns regarding the nature of the publication, and in particular the wording of a press release, which was subsequently withdrawn. Such an aggressive legal response to a purely academic and statistical analysis strongly suggests that the study established a compelling forensic link.

Had the investigation been irrelevant, legal action would likely have been unnecessary. The intervention signaled that the statistical correlation was perceived as a direct threat to anonymity.

Gunningham was already suspected of being Banksy in 2008

As early as 2008, the tabloid newspaper "Mail on Sunday" that Robin Gunningham was the man behind the name Banksy. Now, profiling software has identified addresses and locations associated with Gunningham that could also be linked to the search for Banksy.

The Mail conducted a year-long research project at the time, speaking with dozens of people, including friends, former colleagues, enemies, roommates, and close relatives of Banksy. The starting point of the investigation was a photograph purportedly showing Banksy at work on the Caribbean island of Jamaica.

It shows a man with dark curls, kneeling with a spray can and a stencil in front of him, while wearing a dark blue shirt.

Peter Dean Rickards , who captured the moment, confirmed that it was Banksy after leaking the images to the press – however, this was never officially proven.

He reportedly had a falling out with the artist. "Banksy wandered around Jamaica as if he owned the country ," he told the Evening Standard .

The man who claimed to know Banksy confirmed, according to The Sun , that the picture showed Mr. Gunningham.

However, Banksy claimed not to be the man in the photograph, and Gunningham's entourage was uncooperative. Even his alleged parents reportedly denied his existence. Given Banksy's long history of success in covering his tracks, it's possible that the lead the Mail pursued was a diversionary tactic, according to the authors of the 2008 article.

However, the study was postponed after Banksy's lawyers contacted the university and raised concerns about how the study, titled "Tagging Banksy," could be used in the press.

Neither Gunningham nor Banksy or his representatives have ever publicly commented on this theory to confirm or deny it.

Early indications from the years around the turn of the millennium

According to reports in The Sun last October, Gunningham lived in Easton, Bristol, with his friend Luke Egan It was during this time that Banksy created the famous Mild Mild West sign, which depicts a stuffed bear holding a Molotov cocktail.

The artwork was placed on a wall opposite Subway Records in Stokes Croft, Easton. While Banksy's art moved to London in 2000, Gunningham resided in a flat on Kingsland Road in Hackney.

Egan's former roommate, a fellow artist, exhibited alongside Banksy at Santa's Ghetto, an art shop that opened in London's West End at Christmas 2001. That same year, Banksy held his first unofficial exhibition in a tunnel in Rivington, Shoreditch, where he spray-painted twelve works onto the whitewashed walls.

Egan continued to maintain that Mr. Gunningham was not Banksy. He stated:

I lived with a man named Robin Gunningham. But he wasn't [Banksy] at the time. I lived with him a long time ago. I don't think Banksy was even around at that time anyway

Nevertheless, Banksy made a name for himself in a warehouse just a few meters from Gunningham's apartment.

Theory #3: Robert Del Naja

Others have Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack as Banksy. Del Naja himself is a graffiti artist and worked in Bristol under the name 3D , whom Banksy has cited as one of his early sources of inspiration.

The theory arose after DJ Goldie allegedly mentioned Banksy's name in a podcast when he spoke about this street artist (as reported by the editorial team of Männersache * ).

He said:

With all due respect to Rob, I consider him a brilliant artist. I think he has turned the art world upside down.

Del Naja's theory was further supported by a supposed link between two incidents in which new Banksy artworks appeared in a city where Massive Attack had performed. Nevertheless, Del Naja has publicly rejected these claims, unlike Gunningham.

Theory #4: Jamie Hewlett

In recent years, other speculations have also surfaced suggesting that the founder of Gorillaz , Jamie Hewlett , may be the creator of the artistic work.

An anonymous forensic expert claimed that documents prove Hewlett has connections to every company associated with Banksy. Further evidence supporting this claim is Hewlett's previous work on the band's music videos.

Despite these facts, Banksy's press spokesman has clearly and unequivocally denied these claims.

Over the past few years, Banksy has made occasional appearances. Most recently, he was spotted installing his latest artwork on the London Underground. A passerby also claimed in 2018 to have seen him near a recently completed piece in Hull.

Despite these encounters, the artist's face has always remained hidden, and his working methods remain a mystery. Whether Banksy works alone or with a team is unclear and continues to fuel speculation.

Theory #5: Creative Plurality – The Banksy Collective Theory

Because of the enormous workload, the geographical spread, and the requirements for a uniform artistic quality, the idea has become established that Banksy is not a solitary artist, but a well-organized collective or art brand controlled by a small team.

Justifications for a collective

The credibility of this theory received a boost during the “Better Out Than In” residency in New York in 2013, where a surprisingly large number of works were created in a short time.

Such a structure could organize the collective: A central person would be responsible for the conceptual direction and ideas, while a team of executors would physically create the artworks and organize the logistics. This is why Banksy would be able to be active in different locations simultaneously and manage such an immense workload.

Design and direction of the documentary film

The 2010 film Exit Through the Gift Shop points to an organizational structure that goes beyond a single street performer.

Delimitation and synthesis

The collective theory serves as the most important framework for unifying the conflicting chains of evidence. It is the most likely explanation for the operational and global execution of Banksy's activities.

It reconciles the forensic findings of the QMUL study , which identify Robin Gunningham as the geographical and therefore probably the central artistic origin, with the logistical evidence surrounding Robert Del Naja.

Robin Gunningham is the conceptual mind and creative voice behind this synthesis, while Robert Del Naja (or similar individuals) provide logistical support and mobility. The consistency in style, political stance, and irony across the entire work suggests a single, but highly consistent, conceptual voice.

From an individual graffiti artist, Banksy has evolved into a global brand whose anonymity is managed by a team to achieve the greatest possible economic and philosophical benefit.

We have summarized the results of our research for you in a clear infographic using the Google Gemini visualization tool:

BBC podcast released excerpt of Banksy's voice in an interview

A newly released BBC podcast promises deeper insights into the truth about a famous artist. The 2005 telephone interview may reveal the artist's identity and allow us to hear his voice, finally solving part of the mystery surrounding him. The podcast offers hope that the truth about the artist will soon come to light.

We assume you are who you claim to be, but how can we be sure?

"asks," the presenter.

The person claiming to be Banksy then responds:

Oh, you have absolutely no guarantee for that.”

The conversation with the man, who describes himself as a "painter and decorator" and cites motivation for his guerrilla art,

"You don't want to be stuck in the same industry your whole life, do you?"

The podcast also features interviews with members of the artist's staff, but they do not reveal any details about their identity.

Breaking news: Current legal battle before the High Court could reveal Banksy's true identity

The street artist is currently at the center of a legal conflict that could potentially reveal his identity.

Andrew Gallagher, a prominent figure in the rave and graffiti scene, has sued Banksy. Also involved is Pest Control Ltd , which manages the sale of Banksy's artwork. Although the case is highly confidential, the court proceedings could reveal Banksy's true identity.

The Guardian, the legal battle over a work of art belonging to the late Queen Elizabeth II could actually lead to Banksy being forced to reveal his real name.

What had happened?

Two art collectors have sued Pest Control for breach of contract because the company refuses to authenticate the artwork "Monkey Queen ." After Nicky Katz and Ray Howse spent three years trying to get a response, they lost patience and filed a lawsuit against Pest Control for breach of contract.

They are referring to the Pest Control website, which normally issues certificates of authenticity. Banksy, known for his stencil-based works, likes to call himself a "quality vandal" .

One of his most famous works, “Love is in the Bin” , sold at auction for over £18.5 million. Pest Control's role in the Banksy art market is crucial, and an official certificate of authenticity plays a central role in achieving top prices for his works.

The role of lobbyist Joy Millward

The well-known British parliamentary lobbyist Joy Millward is believed to be the wife of street artist Banksy . She made headlines when her husband, Robin Gunningham, was charged in the Supreme Court. Despite her partner's prominence, Millward, a former Labour Party staffer, skillfully manages to stay out of the public eye.

Joy Millward herself never spoke about the widespread speculation.

Who is Joy Millward?

The lobbyist from the West Midlands reportedly met Gunningham in 2003, shortly before she began working as a researcher for Labour politician Austin Mitchell. They married in Las Vegas in 2006 and have been married for 17 years.

According to insider information, they live a secluded life in a remote community and have little contact with their neighbors.

An informant told The Sun :

Even those they speak to occasionally don't really know who they are. […] Even some of Joy's family members haven't been told who her husband is or what he does.”

Identity remains a mystery. But the clues are mounting.

Although some experts believe they have found clues to his true identity, it remains a mystery. The search for the face behind the myth continues, while Banksy's artwork continues to spark new discussions.

One thing is clear: the art world will continue to be fascinated by this artist, this artist, or this collective called Banksy. Their remarkable works, full of social commentary, will continue to provoke thought, while the creative force behind them remains shrouded in mystery.

It remains uncertain whether we will ever see the artist's true identity revealed. However, it is clear that the clues and indications are becoming increasingly compelling. The legal pitfalls, in particular, could prove fatal to the anonymity of this street art icon.