Banksy

Banksy is the pseudonym of a famous British graffiti artist, whose identity is not certain. His artworks are often political and humorous in nature. In his street art, he combines graffiti with a stencil technique that is characteristic of him. His street work can be found in various European cities, but also outside Europe such as in Palestine, Israel and the United States. Banksy started out as a graffiti artist. Later he started to use templates more so that it would take less time to finish a work. Banksy himself claims that he switched to working with templates while hiding under a train car because the police were on his heels. His work on the streets quickly attracted the attention of the media. Banksy's work is characterized by his catchy and humorous images, in combination with slogans. The message is usually pacifist, anti-capitalist, against the established order and for freedom. He mainly paints animals (such as monkeys and rats) and people (including police officers, soldiers, the elderly, children). He also makes stickers, sculptures and CD covers (including for the Blur album Think Tank). A recurring theme in his work is also the adaptation of existing art, which radically changes the nature of the piece.