Banksy breaks silence on identity in rare interview discovery
An archived BBC interview with Banksy has recently surfaced. The elusive artist divulges, among other elements, his real name in the interview, presenting fans with the rare privilege of hearing their beloved maestro's voice.
7:06 AM EST, November 22, 2023
Banksy ranks amongst the most renowned artists worldwide. Regardless, his persona remains enveloped in mystery. His identity has been tightly concealed for years, leaving fans to conjecture and theorize.
What is Banksy's real name?
The engrossing discovery of an unaccounted for interview with the artist was recently announced by the BBC. Though the dialogue, dated back to 2003, offers limited details, it allows fans to glean a slightly clearer image of Banksy.
The interview was conducted in 2003 by Nigel Wrench, an art journalist of the station. Banksy was just over 20 at the time, and his fame hadn’t yet reached its current heights.
Short segments of the conversation were aired weeks later, yet, the full material remained unused. Years later, Wrench unearthed the dialogue on a disk in his residence. He was surprised to discover that Banksy had disclosed numerous details regarding his life and art.
Banksy expressed his refusal to perceive his graffiti as vandalism. "I am not here to apologize for this. It's the quickest method to express your stance, right?" he argued.
"Others can alter it. They can eradicate it," he further commented.
Banksy decided to unveil his name as well. For years, fans surmised it sounded like Robert, Robbie, or Robin. They weren't far off. When Nigel Wrench referred to the artist as "Robert Banks", Banksy responded by saying: "Robbie".
The artist's identity is the object of numerous studies.In 2008, "The Daily Mail" editors postulated that Robin Gunningham, from the town of Yate, had commenced using the surname Banks, later becoming Banksy. This, however, remains unconfirmed.
