The infamous graffiti artist known as
Banksy has finally been unmasked — after changing his name to something so generic, he could hide in plain sight.
The notorious guerrilla street artist, whose polarizing works have sold for millions of dollars, was identified as Robin Gunningham, 51, from the English city of Bristol, in a detailed
investigation by Reuters on Friday.
The report found that Gunningham changed his name to David Jones — one of the most common British male names — in 2008 to avoid identification.
Banksy’s infamous artwork “Love Is in the Bin.” AFP via Getty Images
“It is one of the most popular names in Britain, so common it helps him hide in plain sight,” the report states.
As part of their investigation, reporters pulled information from a
trip to war-torn Ukraine, where he was photographed and spoke with locals; a falling out with Jamaican photographer Peter Dean Rickards; and a 2000 NYPD arrest report including a signed, handwritten confession.
Gunningham/Jones has previously been identified as Banksy — dating back to a Mail on Sunday report in 2008. However, Reuters reporters put together several forensic pieces of evidence to come to their conclusions.
The report’s authors say they have also disproven the theory that Banksy was really musician Robert Del Naja, frontman of famed Bristol group Massive Attack.
Confusingly, their investigation found that Del Naja was also in Ukraine in 2022, but Reuters reported that he was there with Gunningham.
A spokesperson for Banksy did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Banksy’s street art has polarized critics. Getty Images
In a statement, the artist’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, told Reuters that his client “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct.”
Banksy maintains his anonymity because he has “been subjected to fixated, threatening and extremist behavior,” Stephens added.
“[Working] anonymously or under a pseudonym serves vital societal interests. It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution — particularly when addressing sensitive issues such as politics, religion or social justice,” the statement concluded.
Another Banksy artwork in London. Getty Images
Reuters defended naming Banksy, arguing that “the public has a deep interest in understanding the identity and career of a figure with his profound and enduring influence on culture, the art industry and international political discourse.”
Among Banksy’s most famous works are “
Girl With Balloon,” a simple stencil drawing of a young girl letting go of a red, heart-shaped balloon that, mystifyingly, was named as the British public’s favorite piece of British art in one opinion poll.
In 2018, the design was at the center of a stunt when a framed copy of the work was shredded after being sold at auction by a mechanical device Banksy had hidden within the frame.
The artist confirmed he was
responsible for the shredding, later giving the altered piece the new name “Love Is in the Bin.”
It was
sold for $25.4 million in 2021.
