Reuters journalists said they were able to establish the true identity of world-famous street artist Banksy, who has remained anonymous for more than two decades. His murals in the Kyiv region played a key role in this.
This is stated in a Reuters investigation.
The agencyʼs journalists began an investigation into Banksy when, in 2022, the artist created several works in Ukraine, including in the village of Horenka near Kyiv after liberation from Russian occupation.
They spoke to many sources close to Banksy, but none of them would reveal the artistʼs identity, although many shared details about his life and career.
As the media has been trying to unravel the identity of Banksy for decades, journalists have had several “suspects” from the start. Among them are French street artist Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash), “Massive Attack” frontman Robert Del Naya, also known as street artist 3D, and “Bristol” native Robin Gunningham.
From left to right: Thierry Guetta, Robin Gunningham and Robert Del Naya.
Reuters / Catherine Tai
The investigators went to the village of Horenka (Kyiv region) hoping that the locals would recognize one of these people. This did not happen.
However, villagers recounted the following incident: an ambulance drove up to the house on which the image of a bearded man in a bathtub later appeared. Three people got out, two of them wearing masks. The third had his face uncovered, he had only one arm and prostheses on both lower limbs.
The men took cardboard stencils out of the car and taped them to the inside wall of the destroyed apartment. Then they took out cans of paint and painted the famous mural of a man in a bathtub among the ruins. In November 2022, Banksy shared a video on his Instagram in which he confirmed the authorship of the works in the Kyiv region.
The amputee turned out to be Giles Dooley, a documentary photographer and founder of the charity Legacy of War, which, among other things, donates ambulances to Ukraine. According to eyewitnesses, he was the one who accompanied the artists who created the mural. Banksy publicly thanked Dooley for his help.
Also, one of the residents of Horenka told reporters that she had offered coffee to two men who were working on the graffiti. She saw their faces. When she was shown photos of possible people hiding behind the pseudonym Banksy, she drew attention to the photo of Robert Del Naya, but could not confirm that he was the author of the work.
The authors of the investigation later learned from people familiar with Ukrainian immigration procedures that Del Naya from the band Massive Attack was also visiting Ukraine at the time, and that they and Doula entered the country through Poland on the same day — October 28, 2022. Only the name of their third companion remained unknown.
Banksy mural in Horenka, Kyiv region.
Journalists turned to the book Banksy Captured by Steve Lazarides, Banksyʼs former manager. Lazarides describes an episode when Banksy was detained by the New York police while he was painting an advertising banner on the roof of a building.
After studying a photo of the unfinished work, the investigators were able to determine the address and time of its creation. It was September 2000. The journalists found materials in the case of a street artist who was detained at that address during this period, including a confession written by him. The detaineeʼs name was Robin Gunningham.
Back in 2008, “The Mail on Sunday” reported that Banksy was Robin Gunningham, an artist from Bristol who was born in 1973. But there is no record of a man with that name ever entering Ukraine. So the question remains: how did Banksy create murals in the Kyiv region?
The 2008 cover of “The Mail on Sunday” newspaper featuring one of Banksyʼs few public images.
Banksyʼs former manager said that among the last services he provided the artist before ending the relationship was to help him change his name. Later, journalists found out that the man known as Banksy is now called David Jones.
A man with that name crossed the border with Ukraine at the same time as Dooley and Del Naya.
The artist did not respond to reportersʼ requests for comment after the investigation. His longtime lawyer, Mark Stevens, would neither confirm nor deny Banksyʼs identity. He also urged that the investigation not be published, saying it would violate the artistʼs privacy and put him at risk.
- Banksy is one of the most famous contemporary artists. He does not sign his works, so people can only guess what he wants to say. However, his works often contain political and social messages. They appear in public places around the world, including in Ukraine. Who is really behind the name Banksy, it was still unknown.
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