World-famous British street artist Banksy has reportedly been unmasked, according to a recent investigation by Reuters.
Banksy, known for his distinctive stencil art on public walls and buildings, has maintained anonymity for years, becoming one of the most elusive figures in contemporary art.
The report identifies the man believed to be Banksy as Robin Gunningham from Bristol, England, who is said to have later changed his name to David Jones.
It further suggests he may have worked with collaborators, including Robert Del Naja, also known as 3D, an English musician and founding member of the band Massive Attack, who began his career as a graffiti artist in Bristol. Del Naja has previously been speculated to be Banksy.
In a report published on March 13, Reuters journalists Simon Gardner, James Pearson and Blake Morrison outlined findings from an investigation into the artist’s identity.
Their inquiry focused on a 2022 incident in Horenka, Ukraine, where witnesses reported seeing three men approach a residential complex damaged by explosives. Two of the men wore masks, while a third, who was unmasked, was seen using prosthetic legs.
The masked individuals were observed painting a stencil of a bearded man in a bathtub on a wall. The mural was later confirmed to be a Banksy piece, alongside several others that appeared across Ukraine.
Reuters journalists later travelled to the village and showed residents photographs of three individuals, Gunningham, Del Naja and street artist Thierry Guetta, in an attempt to identify those involved.
One resident, Tetiana Reznychenko, said she served coffee to two of the masked artists and later saw their faces after they removed their masks. According to Reuters, her reaction changed when she was shown Del Naja’s photograph.
Further reporting indicated that Del Naja and the unmasked man, identified as Giles Duley, had arrived in Ukraine in October 2022, shortly before Banksy artworks began appearing. There was no evidence placing Gunningham or Guetta in the country at that time.
According to BBC, Gunningham was first identified as a possible Banksy in 2008 by The Mail, which described him as a former private school student.
A 2023 interview cited by the BBC also suggested the artist’s first name may be “Robbie.”
Additional evidence includes a September 2000 arrest in New York, where Gunningham was reportedly detained for vandalising a billboard. Police records from the incident allegedly contained his real identity before a legal name change.
Banksy’s former manager, Steve Lazarides, said at the time, “There is no Robin Gunningham. The name you’ve got, I killed years ago. You’ll never find him.”
The report has sparked mixed reactions online.
One Instagram user, Mawi, wrote, “We all know who Banksy is: an anonymous artist who delivers strong messages. We are happy with that. Leave him alone.”
Another user, Nebuchadnezzar, added, “I don’t know, maybe do some reporting, investigating and uncovering of the Epstein Files.”