Reuters claims to have discovered the identity of graffiti artist Banksy.
Banksy’s most famous work is probably Girl with Balloon, also known as There Is Always Hope. PDO
The identity of graffiti artist Banksy has been the subject of speculation for several years. Now a news agency Reuters claims to have established the identity of the artist as a result of a thorough investigation.
According to Reuters, Banksy is Robin Gunningham, who, according to the news agency, has changed his name to David Jones.
To reach its conclusion, the news agency interviewed several Banksy insider sources, experts and found previously unpublished US court documents and police reports.
These reports included the artist’s handwritten confession of a long-ago disorderly conduct charge. According to Reuters, that document unquestionably revealed Banksy’s true identity.
Visual artist Robin Gunningham is alleged to be Banksy. PDO
Banksy’s longtime lawyer Mark Stephens wrote to Reuters that Banksy “does not accept that much of the information contained in the investigation is correct.”
Without confirming or denying Banksy’s identity, Stephens told Reuters not to publish the investigative report. He said doing so would violate the artist’s privacy, interfere with his art and put him at risk.
In the Reuters Banksy investigation, information was collected, among other things, about the artist’s trip to Ukraine, where he met locals. The investigation also focused on the alleged dispute with a Jamaican photographer by Peter Dean Rickards with who had published pictures of Banksy’s face.
The research denied earlier rumors that Banksy was Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja.
Robin Gunningham’s name has come up before when guessing Banksy’s identity. The last time that same name surfaced was a few years ago, when Gunningham was accused of defamation.
The artist’s identity and appearance were also revealed in 2019, when an old video was unearthed.
ITV reporter Haig Gordonin an interview Banksy appeared wearing a cap and covered the lower part of his face with a t-shirt. Only the eyes, eyebrows, forehead and a bit of hair remained visible.
– I disguise myself because I can’t do graffiti and then go out in public. Those two things don’t really go together, Banksy said in the video.