Of the numerous feats that Banksy has accomplished over the course of his career as an international artist, activist and filmmaker, perhaps the most astonishing is that while he is among the most famous figures in street art, he has managed to remain completely anonymous.
There is a method behind the madness, however. Banksy maintains that he chooses to conceal his identity to make a more democratic impact with his work, the themes of which include criticism of world leaders, consumerism and terrorism.
Although not much is known about Banksy — he sent a photo of himself with a paper bag on his head to Time magazine for a profile — it is believed that he was born in the city of Bristol, in southwest England, circa 1974. Wit, irreverence, dark humor and activism come together in his work, which spans graffiti, paintings, prints, sculptures and filmmaking. (His film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, which focuses on another street artist known as Mr. Brainwash, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2010 Academy Awards.)
Banksy began as a graffiti artist in his hometown in the early 1990s. He has found fame for his stenciled and spray-painted pieces, which are most often rooted in anti-war or antiestablishment messaging, appearing in cities such as London, New York and Los Angeles and for his “stunts” that are intended to subvert and provoke the art world. One particularly memorable stunt took place in 2018, when, as soon as one of his paintings sold at auction — Girl with a Balloon, which fetched an extraordinary $1.4 million — it self-destructed and proceeded to partially shred itself. Banksy even snuck into the Louvre and hung his own version of the Mona Lisa in 2006. Despite his elusive persona and commitment to bringing art to the masses, Banksy is one of the most coveted artists at auctions across the world.
And his work is undeniably impactful.
At a record-breaking auction organized by Damien Hirst, Bono and others to benefit AIDS charities in 2008, Banksy’s Keep It Spotless — a modified Hirst painting — fetched nearly $2 million. In May of 2020, Banksy donated Game Changer, a painting that honors UK healthcare workers, to Southampton General Hospital. When it went to auction in 2021, it sold for more than $23 million at Christie's in London. All proceeds went to the National Health Service.
Find original Banksy art for sale on 1stDibs.
$2,950
Welcome Mat
By Banksy
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Banksy (b. 1974) is a pseudonymous street-artist and political activist whose real name and identity remain the subject of speculation. "Welcome Mat" is a sculptural/ephemera work c...
Organic Material
Peckham Rock
By Banksy
Located in Manchester, GB
Banksy, Peckham Rock, 2018 Wooden postcard Open edition 12 x 18 cm Banksy is a contemporary British street artist and activist who, despite his international fame, has maintained...
Wood
$1,160Sale Price|66% Off
H 37 in W 37 in D 2 in
Beverly Hills Ice-Cream Festival 3D Mixed Media Art, Framed, 37x37 IN
By Mauro Oliveira
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**NEW YEAR FINAL 90 DAYS SALE UNTIL MARCH 31ST** **STORE CLOSURE - UP TO 80% OFF - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** **EVERYTHING MUST GO UNTIL APRIL1ST!** ***FRAME INCL...
Resin, Plastic, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$2,200
H 6.5 in W 7.75 in
Black and White Geometric Basket, Panama, Rainforest, Wounaan Tribe, Contemporary
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Black and White Geometric Basket, Panama, Rainforest, Wounaan Tribe,Contemporary The baskets are made by the Wounaan and Embera Indians from the Darien Ra...
Organic Material
Black and White Basket, Wounaan Tribe, Panama, Rainforest, Geometric, Round
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Black and White Basket, Wounaan Tribe, Panama, Rainforest, Geometric, round The baskets are made by the Wounaan and Embera Indians from the Darien Rainfor...
Organic Material
$500
H 5.25 in Dm 5 in
Wounaan Tribe Panama Rainforest Basket, brown, white and black geometric design
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Wounaan Tribe Panama Rainforest Basket, brown, white and black geometric design hand woven palm fiber and vegetal dye Estelina Morales The baskets are made by the Wounaan and Embera...
Organic Material
Butterfly Basket, Wounaan Tribe, Panama, Rainforest, black, red, green, white
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Butterfly Basket, Wounaan Tribe, Panama, Rainforest, black, red, green, white The baskets are made by the Wounaan and Embera Indians from the Darien ...
Organic Material
Paradise
By Carl James Ferrero
Located in New York, NY
Oil, wax, and collage on linen Signed and dated, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Carl James Ferrero is an artist whose experimental paintings, ...
Linen, Paper, Wax, Oil
$2,363
H 13.78 in W 9.06 in D 0.99 in
Minimalist Mixed Media on Paper, Framed in Wood, 2024 - 'Cartolina 5'
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Silvia De Marchi (b. 1967, Melzo, Italy) is an Italian painter currently based in Italy and represented by the Grège Gallery. Her artistic practice reflects a deep exploration of ma...
Paper, Glue, Ink, Mixed Media, Wood, Acrylic
$1,800
H 9.75 in Dm 10.5 in
Geometric Basket, tan, white, black, Wounaan Tribe, Panama, rainforest, diamonds
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Geometric Basket, tan, white, black, Wounaan Tribe, Panama, rainforest, diamonds Palm fiber and vegetal dyes The baskets are made by the Wounaan and Embera Indians from the Darien Rainforest in Panama. The Wounaan believe they emerged from the palm tree. They weave baskets from palm fiber and use natural dyes. The dyes are made from wood, plants, and earth. Achieving a particular color takes weeks. The rainforest baskets are of the highest quality to be found anywhere in the world. Comparable to the North American Pomo and Panamint baskets, widely considered the best weavers in the world. The Wounaan and Embera are the finest weavers working today. The area in which they live is extremely remote and dangerous to reach. From Panama City...
Organic Material
Trapped in History
By Tony Dagradi
Located in New Orleans, LA
TONY DAGRADI is an internationally recognized jazz performer, artist, composer, author, and educator. For over three decades he has made his home in New Orleans, performing on tenor ...
Wood, Paper, Varnish, Found Objects
Red Rocks
By Gina Phillips
Located in New Orleans, LA
two-sided Gina Phillips is a mixed media, narrative artist who grew up in Kentucky and has lived in New Orleans since 1995. The imagery, stories and characters of both regions inf...
Acrylic, Fabric, Resin, Thread
$675
H 4.75 in W 6.75 in D 5.25 in
Wounaan Tribe Panama Rainforest Basket, gold, black, red geometric hand woven
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Wounaan Tribe Panama Rainforest Basket, gold, black, red geometric hand woven natural dyes The baskets are made by the Wounaan and Embera Indians from the Darien Rainforest in Panam...
Organic Material
Basket, Panama, Rainforest, Wounaan Tribe, Mamina Chemorra, red, blue, purple
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Basket, Panama, Rainforest, Wounaan Tribe, Mamina Chemorra, red, blue, purple geometric diamond design silk weave extremely fine Darien Rainforest palm fiber and vegetal dyes handwo...
Organic Material
Sold
H 25 in W 25 in D 4.5 in
The Walled Off Hotel Box Set from 2017 by Banksy Palestine Contemporary Street
By Banksy
Located in Draper, UT
The Walled Off Hotel Box Set 2017. From the hotel designed by Banksy. Digital screenprint with concrete wall piece. Comes with Certificate Of Authenticity from The Walled Off Hotel. ...
Concrete
Sold
H 2.875 in W 5.6 in
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner: SET of TWO framed works (Banksy 10 pound bank note)
By Banksy
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner (Banksy 10 pound note): Set of 2 works (framed): A set of two individual notes, framed transparently on front & reverse. Published by ...
Lithograph, Offset
Banksy, Peckham Rock
By Banksy
Located in Manchester, GB
Banksy, Peckham Rock, 2018 Wooden postcard Open edition 12 x 18 cm Banksy is a contemporary British street artist and activist who, despite his int...
Wood
Banksy - Walled Off Hotel, Box Set
By Banksy
Located in BRUCE, ACT
Banksy -- Walled Off Hotel, Box Set From the hotel designed by Banksy. Digital print with concrete wall piece. Comes with the receipt. The editio...
Mixed Media
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner (Banksy 10 pound bank note)
By Banksy
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner: Published by Santa's Ghetto, London, for the 2004 Banksy exhibition - Banksy also made a whole briefcase full of these historic, and much fabled 10 pound 'bank notes...
Lithograph, Offset
Banksy Box Set "Walled Off Hotel" #2715
By Banksy
Located in Draper, UT
Walled Off Hotelm Box Set 2019. From the hotel designed by Banksy. Digital print with concrete wall piece. Comes with Certificate Of Authenticity from the Walled Off Hotel. Also inc...
Cast Stone
Di-Faced Tenner
By Banksy
Located in Dallas, TX
Bansky Di-Faced Tenner Spray Paint and Stencil on Genuine 10 Pound Bank Note 3 x 6 Bansky almost got in trouble with the British secret service for making these. They were so well ...
Spray Paint, Tissue Paper, Stencil
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner (Banksy 10 pound bank note)
By Banksy
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner: Published by Santa's Ghetto, London, for the 2004 Banksy exhibition - Banksy also made a whole briefcase full of these historic, and much fabled 10 pound 'bank notes...
Lithograph, Offset
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner (Banksy 10 pound bank note)
By Banksy
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Banksy Di-Faced Tenner: Published by Santa's Ghetto, London, for the 2004 Banksy exhibition - Banksy also made a whole briefcase full of these historic, and much fabled 10 pound 'bank notes...
Lithograph, Offset
Sold
H 8 in W 7 in
Banksy Walled Off Hotel Sculpture Iconic Flower Thrower Tower Palestine Urban
By Banksy
Located in Draper, UT
In 2017 & 2019 I traveled to the Walled Off Hotel in Palestine and had the time of my life. I highly recommend going as it was an amazing experience to see Banksy Originals...
Stone, Cast Stone, Steel
Sold
H 25 in W 25 in
Walled Off Hotel Box Set 2017 Box Framed With Different Colored Rocks Unique WOH
By Banksy
Located in Draper, UT
Walled Off Hotel Box Set 2017 Medium Print Condition Acquired from the Walled Off Hotel, with the original receipt. Note, this is not signed o...
Cast Stone
Banksy Peckham rock
By Banksy
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Banksy Peckham rock Official edition on wood in partnership with the pest control office of the fake prehistoric painting made by Banksy and exhibited in the museum . Circa 2005 18 x...
Wood