Reuters has claimed to have definitively identified the mysterious artist known as Banksy, using details from a historical police report.
The investigation concluded that Banksy is a Bristolian man formerly known as Robin Gunningham (but is alleged to have legally changed his name to David Jones to protect his anonymity).
The claims originate from a signed confession found in court and police documents relating to a misdemeanour involving a Marc Jacobs billboard committed in New York City in 2000.
The Reuters investigation may be a significant development in a long search to unmask the person behind the artworks that so often appear all over the world.
Last year, Banksy made a powerful new statement on the streets of London, with a mural appearing at the Royal Courts of Justice that directly addresses the recent crackdown on Palestine-related protests.
The artwork depicts a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard, while the judge, in a wig and gown, looms over him wielding a gavel (Banksy)
PA Media
The mural is a clear commentary on the mass arrests that took place at a recent demonstration challenging the proscription of the group Palestine Action.
The work, however, was quickly covered up by court staff with plastic sheets and barriers, and is being guarded by security. Officials for HM Courts and Tribunals have stated that the mural will be removed, as the Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and must maintain its original character.
With this new piece facing immediate backlash, the police probe suggests Banksy’s anonymous identity might not last much longer if this case is brought to trial.
Banksy has confirmed the work on his Instagram page
Banksy / PA Wire
The rhino mural, which is on Westmoor Street in Charlton, south-east London, is made to appear as though the animal is climbing up a car that looks to have been dumped. Subsequent photos reveal that a skip has been positioned next to it. Banksy confirmed the work is his on his Instagram page.
Last August, skip-hire company RMS Limited was seen making efforts to protect the artwork one afternoon after a man in a balaclava graffitied the animal, according to footage obtained by the BBC.
100-106 Westmoor Street, Greenwich, London, SE7 8NQ
The closest train station is Charlton station, Woolwich Road, which is on the Southeastern and Thameslink train lines.
Buses 472, 161, 177 and 180 also operate in the area.
Ella Nunn / PA Wire
Banksy verified that this artwork was created in north London on March 18, 2024. In order to simulate greenery, green paint was sprayed on the facade of a building on Hornsey Road in Finsbury Park in front of a tree that had been chopped back.
Two days after the mural’s creation, it was vandalised with two coats of white paint. To safeguard the artwork and discourage future damage, a large plastic sheet and a fence was installed.
390 Hornsey Road, Finsbury Park, London, N19 4HT
The closest underground station is Finsbury Park station, which is served by the Piccadilly and Victoria lines. The mural is roughly a 20-minute walk from there. The closest bus stop is Hornsey Road (Stop F) which is serviced by buses 91, 210 and 153.
Rivington Street, Shoreditch
In the rear yard of the now closed Cargo nightclub in Shoreditch, you may discover a guard and his poodle hidden behind plexiglass in Banksy’s designated graffiti area on Rivington Street.
The artwork is still present; however, it is hidden by perspex.
Shoreditch Bars Group, 62-68 Rivington Street, London, EC2A 3AY
The closest station is Shoreditch High Street station on the London Overground.
The closest bus stop is Great Eastern Street (Stop YA), which is on the 55, 243 and N55 routes.
Yui Mok / PA Wire
On the facade of a building close to Chelsea, the silhouette of two elephants with their trunks extended towards one another was recently spotted.
35 Edith Grove, Kensington and Chelsea, London, SW10 0LB
The closest train station is West Brompton, which is on the District line.
Yellow flower, Bethnal Green
End of the line: Banksy’s 2007 double yellow line flower in Bethnal Green
Banksy
A yellow flower still stands tall on a wall in Bethnal Green. It sprang up from double yellow lines running across the pavement, though these have now been removed, leaving the painter and the flower on the wall. Over the years, the painter has become barely visible, due to it having been stencilled and tagged over.
Pollard street, Bethnal Green, London, England
The best way to get to the street is by taking the Underground to Bethnal Green station.
AFP via Getty Images
A happy picture of pelicans gulping fish from a chip shop sign greeted Walthamstow residents in north-east London.
Bonner’s Fish Bar, 144 Northcote Road (on the corner with Pretoria Avenue), Walthamstow, London, E17 7EB
Victoria line northbound to Walthamstow Central or Blackhorse Road or London Overground to St James Street or Blackhorse Road.
A very faint outline of a 2008 piece of a girl and a cash machine can just about be made out, though much of it has now faded.
46 Rosebery Avenue, Islington, London, EC1R 4QA
One of the closest train stations is Chancery Lane.
Some Banksy pieces that have been removed
Banksy has many pieces that have been removed from London for various reasons. These are just some of them:
Jordan Pettitt / PA Wire
- Goat – 2024
- Wolf on a satellite dish – 2024
- No stopping rat, Whitechapel, 2012
- One Nation Under CCTV, Oxford Street, 2008
- B-Boy, Hackney, 2008
- I HATE THIS FONT, Tottenham
- Last Graffiti Before Motorway, Brent Cross
- Sorry! The lifestyle you ordered is currently out of stock, Poplar
- Banksy vs Robbo Wall, Regents Canal, 2009
- Royal Courts of Justice 2025
*Disclaimer — London is changing all the time. If you know any of the above have gone, please email [email protected]