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 more templates 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 carriage because the police were hot 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, combined with slogans. The message is usually pacifist, anti-capitalist, anti-establishment and pro-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 the adaptation of existing art, radically changing the nature of the piece.