2018
Of the numerous feats that Banksy has accomplished over the course of his career as an international artist, activist and filmmaker, perhaps the most astonishing is that while he is among the most famous figures in street art, he has managed to remain completely anonymous.
There is a method behind the madness, however. Banksy maintains that he chooses to conceal his identity to make a more democratic impact with his work, the themes of which include criticism of world leaders, consumerism and terrorism.
Although not much is known about Banksy — he sent a photo of himself with a paper bag on his head to Time magazine for a profile — it is believed that he was born in the city of Bristol, in southwest England, circa 1974. Wit, irreverence, dark humor and activism come together in his work, which spans graffiti, paintings, prints, sculptures and filmmaking. (His film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, which focuses on another street artist known as Mr. Brainwash, was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 2010 Academy Awards.)
Banksy began as a graffiti artist in his hometown in the early 1990s. He has found fame for his stenciled and spray-painted pieces, which are most often rooted in anti-war or antiestablishment messaging, appearing in cities such as London, New York and Los Angeles and for his “stunts” that are intended to subvert and provoke the art world. One particularly memorable stunt took place in 2018, when, as soon as one of his paintings sold at auction — Girl with a Balloon, which fetched an extraordinary $1.4 million — it self-destructed and proceeded to partially shred itself. Banksy even snuck into the Louvre and hung his own version of the Mona Lisa in 2006. Despite his elusive persona and commitment to bringing art to the masses, Banksy is one of the most coveted artists at auctions across the world.
And his work is undeniably impactful.
At a record-breaking auction organized by Damien Hirst, Bono and others to benefit AIDS charities in 2008, Banksy’s Keep It Spotless — a modified Hirst painting — fetched nearly $2 million. In May of 2020, Banksy donated Game Changer, a painting that honors UK healthcare workers, to Southampton General Hospital. When it went to auction in 2021, it sold for more than $23 million at Christie's in London. All proceeds went to the National Health Service.
Find original Banksy art for sale on 1stDibs.
"Visit Historic Palestine" Walled Off Hotel Stamped Print
By Banksy
Located in Draper, UT
Banksy (after) Visit Historic Palestine Print On the verso of the print it is double stamped with the Walled Off Hotel Emblem. It has a stamp in the lower left corner that reads,...
Offset
$2,629Sale Price|20% Off
H 4.73 in W 3.94 in D 3.94 in
BANKSY (after) - Wall Souvenir - From the Walled Off Hotel
By Banksy
Located in PARIS, FR
Collection: Unsigned and marked with a unique reference number on the underside. New although some imperfections may exist given the nature of the material. Sold with the original receipt from WOH. About: Miniature concrete souvenir sculpture, hand painted by local artists Open edition. The Souvenir Wall Section consists of a mini stretch of separation wall decorated with recreations of well-loved graffiti. Lovingly hand painted by local craftspeople. Made from enhanced polymer resin on a stone plinth extracted from the dividing wall. Graffiti artist Banksy...
Concrete
$1,900
H 10 in W 10 in D 1.75 in
Walled Off Hotel Boxed Set Assemblage w/original embossed receipt from Bethlehem
By Banksy
Located in New York, NY
Banksy (after) Walled Off Hotel Boxed Set Assemblage, 2018 Mixed Media assemblage: unique piece of concrete/cement wall with framed lithograph. Accompanied by original embossed rece...
Concrete
$3,500
H 4.57 in W 5.52 in D 2.56 in
Banksy Walled Off Hotel Flower Thrower Separation Wall Sculpture, 2017
By Banksy
Located in Englishtown, NJ
Super iconic and instantly recognizable Flower Thrower image featured on this Banksy Walled Off Hotel separation wall sculpture. This image was originally painted by Banksy in the We...
Stone
$3,991Sale Price|20% Off
H 4.73 in W 3.94 in D 3.94 in
BANKSY (after) - Wall Souvenir - From the Walled Off Hotel
By Banksy
Located in PARIS, FR
Collection: Unsigned and marked with a unique reference number on the underside. New although some imperfections may exist given the nature of the material. Sold with the original receipt from WOH. About: Miniature concrete souvenir sculpture, hand painted by local artists Open edition. The Souvenir Wall Section consists of a mini stretch of separation wall decorated with recreations of well-loved graffiti. Lovingly hand painted by local craftspeople. Made from enhanced polymer resin on a stone plinth extracted from the dividing wall. Graffiti artist Banksy...
Concrete
$667Sale Price|25% Off
H 38.97 in W 24.01 in
Palestine Protest (Conflict, Street Art, Graffiti Art, Sprayer, ~25% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Drew Straker Palestine Protest (Palestine Conflict, Street Art, Graffiti Art, Sprayer) 2018 Giclée print on Hahnemühle Velvet 185gsm Size: 38.97 x 24.01 inches (99 x 61cm) Signed in...
Archival Pigment
$349,950
H 22.05 in W 29.92 in
Banksy Barely Legal Set of 6 Screen Prints, Unsigned, 2006, Pest Control COA
By Banksy
Located in Aventura, FL
Banksy's Barely Legal is a set of six screen prints on paper named after the Barely Legal exhibition held in 2006 in a warehouse in Los Angeles. From the unsigned edition and each numbered 59/500 (there are also 17 artist's proofs). Published by Modern Multiples Fine Art Editions, Los Angeles, with Pictures on Walls and the publisher's blindstamp. Pest Control authentication certificates included. The Barely Legal Set includes the following: Grannies (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Sale Ends (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Applause (29.92 x 44.89 inches) Trolleys (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Festival (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Morons (22.05 x 29.92 inches) About the Artist: Banksy (British, born 1974) is a contemporary street artist and activist who, despite his international fame, has maintained an anonymous identity. Aimed as a form of cultural criticism, the artist often targets established social and political agendas with his witty illustrations produced with stencils and spray paint in cities such as New Orleans, New York, and Paris. “The art world is the biggest joke,” he said. “It’s a rest home of the over privileged, the pretentious, and the weak.” Although details of the artist’s life are largely unknown, it is thought that Banksy was born in Bristol, United Kingdom, c. 1974, starting his career as a graffiti artist in the city. Better Out Than In, Banksy’s month-long residency in New York during October 2013, featured a man hawking the artist’s paintings for $60 a piece outside Central Park. In 2015, Banksy opened Dismaland Bemusement Park, a temporary art exhibition that functioned as a theme park. After a 36-day run, its workers and materials were sent to the Calais migrant camp in France to build additional housing. Among the artist's most famous stunts include his shredded painting: When a painting by Banksy was sold at auction for $1.4 million in 2018, a mechanism was triggered to cause the artwork to partially destroy itself, resulting in a new piece titled Love in the Bin (2018). The ongoing question as to who Banksy is continued to reach the headlines when in 2017 Robert Del Naja...
Paper, Screen
Banksy, Wall and Piece
Located in Bradenton, FL
Wall and Piece by Banksy. Published in 2006 by Century. Softcover, 240 pages.
Paper
$938
H 19.69 in W 19.69 in
Bethlehem Print Set, 3 Hand Signed Screen Prints on Paper, Street Art, 2018
By Zedsy
Located in Aventura, FL
Set of 3 screen prints on paper includes "Animal", "Saviour", and "Poison Reality". Edition of 200. Matching editions. Each print measures 19.69 x 19.69 inches. Artwork is in exce...
Paper, Screen
Exit Through the Gift Shop 2010 US 1 Sheet Film Poster, Banksy
Located in Bath, Somerset
A super cool, super huge, super rare vintage 1971 Superman poster!; Fantastic original authorised commercial Superman Peace poster designed by Swan and ...
Paper
