Banksy Art in Brick Lane, East End. Credit: Matt.whitby / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
A new investigation says Banksy’s true identity has finally been uncovered after years of speculation, identifying the anonymous street artist as “Robin Gunningham” of Bristol and reporting that he later used the name David Jones to avoid detection.
The report, published by Reuters, says the finding is based on several pieces of evidence. It points to Banksy’s trip to Ukraine in 2022, images circulated by people from his earlier career, and a handwritten confession tied to a 2000 arrest in New York. Reuters said the records from that case identified the artist as Gunningham.
Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, pushed back on the report and said the artist did not accept many parts of the investigation as accurate.
Stephens argued that revealing the artist’s identity would compromise his safety, intrude on his private life, and undermine his ability to work freely.
He also said anonymity serves an important public purpose because it shields artists who engage with sensitive subjects from punishment or suppression.
New report details Banksy’s true identity
Reuters said it decided to publish because of what it described as strong public interest in a figure who has had a significant and lasting impact on culture, the art world, and public discourse.
Banksy mural in Ukraine. Credit: Kyiv regional National Police
The investigation began after Banksy’s murals appeared in Ukraine in late 2022. In Horenka, outside Kyiv, witnesses described masked men arriving at a damaged apartment building and quickly painting one of the works. Reuters said that the effort to understand how the murals were made led to a broader search into the artist’s background.
The report also examined long-running theories about Banksy. Over the years, some people suspected Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, while others suggested different artists, public figures or even a collective. Reuters concluded that Del Naja was not Banksy, though the report said he may have been connected to the Ukraine trip.
Banksy’s rise, public mystery, and global influence
Banksy built his name through graffiti and stencil work on walls across the UK and beyond. His art became known for sharp social and political messages, often delivered through simple stencil images.
Children swinging from an Israeli watch tower by Banksy, Photo via banksy.co.uk
Among his best-known works is Girl With Balloon, which was at the heart of a remarkable auction moment in 2018 when the framed piece began to shred just after it was sold. The altered work was later renamed “Love Is in the Bin.”
Banksy has also painted in places such as the West Bank and Ukraine, and recent work on London’s Royal Courts of Justice was widely seen as a comment on protest and state power.
Even with the new findings, the debate may not end. Part of Banksy’s appeal has always been the mystery around the artist. Still, the latest report presents the clearest public case yet for Banksy’s true identity.
