The identity of Banksy, who takes a stand with his art, was revealed – here are five key works

News agency Reuters revealed on Friday, March 13, by a world-famous street artist Banksyn of identity: according to it, there is a Bristolian behind the Banksy moniker Robin Gunningham.

Banksy himself usually does not comment on his affairs, but manages the connections to the outside world Pest Control Office through his company called Through it, it was also communicated to Reuters that Banksy would not comment on the news agency’s information one way or the other.

His lawyer Mark Stephens however, noted that many of the details included in Reuters’ request for comment were not true. According to the lawyer, publishing the news would violate Banksy’s privacy and put him in danger, as he has already received threats for years.

This is precisely why Banksy has decided to work under the pseudonym, lawyer Stephens wrote to Reuters: “It protects freedom of expression, as it allows artists to challenge those in power without fear of reprisals, censorship or persecution – especially when the art deals with sensitive topics such as politics, religion or social justice.”

Banksy has dealt with these themes in his works, which have typically appeared unannounced in surprising places. Many early graffiti in Bristol in the 1990s were immediately hidden by the authorities, and Banksy came up with the idea of ​​switching to stencils because the painting was created much faster with them than with freehand spray painting. This also reduced the risk of getting caught considerably.

In this article, we present five of Banksy’s key works.

1. Flower Thrower

Banksy’s best-known works include a mural that Banksy painted in 2003 on the wall of a building in Beit Sahour in the West Bank. It is known by many different names, for example Flower Thrower and Love is in the Air. In it, a masked protester is throwing a bouquet of flowers. This image was also published as 750 prints, where a man throwing flowers is seen against a red background.

2. Balloon Girl

Another well-known subject is a girl chasing an escaping red balloon, of which Banksy painted a series of works in London in the early 2000s. Balloon Girl -the subject has since appeared in many other works, for example in Länsiranta wall in 2005. In that work, a girl was floating supported by a bunch of balloons.

A few hundred prints have also been made of the balloon girl. In 2018, the framed print was sold for around £1 million at a Sotheby’s auction, after which a shredder hidden in the frame started destroying the print. Banksy had hidden the shredder in the frame in case the print was ever sold at auction.

Banksy’s Pest Control Office also authorized this version, where the original work is partially destroyed. The new work got its name Love is in the Bin – and it was sold at auction three years later for £18m.

3. Walled Off Hotel

In 2017, Banksy opened in Bethlehem Walled Off Hotel -hotel, which is decorated with the works of Banksy and two other artists. The name of the hotel comes from the West Bank wall erected by Israel, which is right next to the hotel – and, as a play on words, of course also refers to the name of the Waldorf Astoria hotels. The profits from the hotel are directed to the Palestinians.

The hotel was closed after the October 2023 terrorist attack by Hamas, but reopened in December 2025, The Art Newspaper kertoo.

4. Solidarity with Ukraine

In November 2022, Banksy painted a series of seven murals in Ukraine called Solidarity with Ukraine (“Solidarity for Ukraine”). In one painting, a young boy throws a Putin-like man to tatami mats in a judo match, in another, children use an armored barrier as a see-saw.

5. Royal Courts of Justice

In September 2025, a mural by Banksy appeared on the wall of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, in which a judge hits a protester with his mace. This has been interpreted as referring to the Palestine Action activist group, which in the summer of 2025 was classified as a terrorist organization in Britain.

The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building, so Banksy’s mural soon began to be removed. Even at the end of September, a layer of black paint was visible on the wall.