Have we finally found out the identity of graffiti artist Banksy?
A new investigation, first published by Reuters, says the artist who has worked under a pseudonym for almost three decades was someone named Robin Gunningham.
Journalists Simon Gardner, James Pearson, and Blake Morrison traveled the world piecing together clues.
They went to Ukraine, where Banksy’s art has been found, to see if anyone would pick him out of a photo lineup of graffiti artists. They also spoke to people who knew him.
Despite asking insiders in the world of Banksy, none would disclose who he was, but they did offer clues about his life and career.
“Banksy Capture,” a memoir from Steve Lazarides, who managed Banksy from the 1990s to 2008, they said, put them on the final path. A photo from 2000 from New York showing an “aborted Banksy work” was shared on Instagram after the artist was allegedly arrested.
That led to a court file that referred to Gunningham, who signed the confession.
Police wanted to charge him with a felony, but in the end, the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and he posted $1,500 bail and had to do five days of community service.
The bail form listed the Carlton Arms Hotel, where Gunningham was staying. Instead of paying for the room, he painted the walls and a room in exchange, signing the art “Robin Banks,” which, the journalists said, eventually became Banksy.
Gunningham also changed his name to David Jones, which The Times noted is one of the most common names in Britain.
A “David Jones” left Ukraine in October 2022, the same day that Robert del Naja, a member of Massive Attack, who was part of the same circle as Banksy, The Times reported.
Banksy’s company, Pest Control, told Reuters he “has decided to say nothing” about their discovery.
When asked by Entertainment Weekly, the company did not respond.
Reuters described the graffiti artist: “Once an annoyance to authorities who viewed him as a vandal, he has become a British national treasure.”
While considered a treasure, Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, told Reuters that his client “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct.” He did not go into detail, but said that if Reuters published the report, it would violate Banksy’s privacy, interfere with his art, and put him in danger.
Without going into detail, Stephens said Banksy has “been subjected to fixated, threatening and extremist behaviour.”
Click here to read more from the Reuters investigation.