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Publicasso 2025 26(Art and Media)printed 11 · PDF 13
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Who is He?
11
One of the most fascinating mysteries of
the late 20th and early 21st centuries is
the identity of Banksy, a street artist who
speaks out for political and social change
through his art. Originating in England, his
artistic identity is pseudonymous, and his
real identity remains unconfirmed.
However, his name has been speculated to
be Robbie, according to various media
sources, though this remains unverified,
and what we do know of him is that he is
not only a political activist and street
artist, but also a film director, making
every wall he chooses subject to rebellious
graffiti combined with his unique sense of
dark humour. His pieces include Girl with
Balloon, a piece whose different versions
were used as a retaliation against the West
Bank barrier and the Syrian refugee crisis.
With this thorough background established, let’s look into potential
identities Banksy could fit into and why. As mentioned at the
beginning of the article, his name is Robbie Banks, which opens a wide
world of possibilities. One theory suggests Banksy may be Robert del
Naja, a founding member of the band called Massive Attack, due to the
striking similarity in their names: “Robert” and “Robbie.” Could this be
him? The legendary street artist who has everyone’s brain in knots? Or
perhaps he is an entirely different person under the name “Robbie
Banks” according to multiple sources on the web? We will never know
for sure. After all, in this age of accelerated digitization of quite
literally everything around us, for example, grocery, food, and so
much more delivered right to your doorstep through just that little
box in the palm of your hand, it has become hard to distinguish the
truth from lies.
In conclusion, whoever Banksy, or Robbie Banks, is, he has certainly
left a significant impact on the ever-changing world around us which
is endlessly falling into an abyss of mass destruction, an immense
impact that has pushed us to question all the happenings around us
and how logical they are, one that is to be remembered for
generations to come.
By: M. Saraan Bin Waqas
Even though he is so well known in the art world that his pieces are
sold at auctions for hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars,
he signs and sells prints, and his shredded version “Love Is in the Bin”
of a framed copy of Girl with Balloon is described by Sotheby’s as “the
first work in history ever created during a live auction,” his identity
still remains unconfirmed as yet.
Banksy mural at London’s Royal Courts of Justice showing a judge beating a protester
with a gavel, commenting on the crackdown on Palestine Action. It was quickly removed.
bbc.com - Who is Banksy?
reuters.com - In Search Of Banksy
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