Gallery: The Art of Banksy

Banksy is the nom de guerre of a prolific English graffiti artist, political activist, director and painter whose true identity has remains unknown to the public despite his increasingly public career. His provocative stencil graffiti can be seen throughout the U.K., and thanks to an Oscar nomination for his 2010 documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop, in several spots in the U.S. 

Banksy in the United Kingdom

Banksy began his career in the Bristol graffiti scene in the early nineties as a hybrid of stenciled and freehand graffiti. By the turn of the century, he worked almost exclusively in stencils in order to create intricate pieces very quickly. Today, most of his work in the U.K. is located either Bristol or London.

 
Banksy in the U.S.

Banksy has made several appearances in the U.S., with stops in L.A., San Francisco, New York, and New Orleans. His U.S. pieces tend to offer commentary on the failure of the American dream and the United States' rapidly increasingly rocky relationship with the rest of the world.

Banksy in Palestine

In 2005, Banksy daringly painted nine pieces on the West Bank wall between Israel and Palestine. The pieces lampoon the treatment of the Palestinian people. The wall, according to Banksy, “essentially turns Palestine into the world’s largest open prison.”