14 March 2026 , 19:06
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A graffiti artist in the UK has been identified as renowned street artist Banksy, following an in-depth investigation by the news agency Reuters.
Banksy is one of the world’s most popular and enigmatic artists, but his identity has been debated and closely guarded for decades. Banksy is best known for simple yet sophisticated stencil paintings which have generated tens of millions of pounds in sales over the years.
Some critics believe Banksy’s anonymity is as important to his work as stencils and paint. But who is the real Banksy? According to Reuters, it is Robin Gunningham, who the agency claimed has changed his name to David Jones.
To reach their conclusion, Reuters examined what Banksy and people close to him have divulged about his identity, interviewed a dozen Banksy-world insiders and experts and unearthed previously undisclosed U.S. court records and police reports in their attempt to unmask the artist.
His long-time lawyer, Mark Stephens, wrote to Reuters that Banksy “does not accept that many of the details contained within your enquiry are correct.” He didn’t elaborate. Without confirming or denying Banksy’s identity, Stephens urged [Reuters] not to publish this report, saying doing so would violate the artist’s privacy, interfere with his art and put him in danger.
In its investigation In Search of Banksy, information was pulled together from a trip to Ukraine, where the artist met with locals. It also uncovered a fallout he reportedly had with Jamaican photographer Peter Dean Rickards, who reportedly posted images of Banksy’s face.
They also examined New York arrest documents from 2000, including an apparent signed, handwritten confession. The investigation claimed Banksy is not Robert Del Naja, the frontman of Massive Attack, who had been rumored for years to be the artist.
The investigation instead claims that Robin Gunningham is the true identity of Banksy, who Reuters claimed changed his name to David Jones several years ago. Their argument backs up a 2008 Mail on Sunday report that also named Gunningham as Banksy.
Banksy’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, said in a reply to the agency that his client "does not accept that many of the details contained within [the] enquiry are correct." He added the findings "would violate the artist’s privacy, interfere with his art and put him in danger."
He added: "It protects freedom of expression by allowing creators to speak truth to power without fear of retaliation, censorship or persecution."
World Affairs Correspondent