'So who IS Banksy...?' Amsterdam exhibition claims to show never before seen photos of the graffiti king at work
- Banksy is perhaps the most famous, or infamous, artist alive, to some a genius to others a vandal
- Since 2000 he has played cat and mouse with the authorities with his paintings appearing on walls in London and even the West Bank
- But despite his works selling for millions each with celebrity fans like Brad Pitt, his true identity is shrouded in secrecy
- An investigation claimed he is former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham
- Now an exhibition in Amsterdam claims to show never before seen photos of the artist working as a young man
For 15 years he has played cat and mouse with the authorities becoming the most famous graffiti artist in the world and selling his works for millions to celebrities such as Brad and Angelina.
Famed for his trademark stencil-style 'guerrilla' art in public spaces - on walls in London, Brighton, Bristol and even on the West Bank barrier separating Israelis and Palestinians - his works have sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
And yet despite being one of the most controversial artists alive who polarises opinion from those who label him a street art genius and those who dismiss him as a vandal, Banksy remains the Scarlet Pimpernel of modern art as his true identity remains shrouded in secrecy.
For 15 years, arguably the world's most controversial artist Banksy has kept his identity secret. Now, never before seen pictures claiming to be him are being shown at an exhibition in Amsterdam. Pictured: A photo claiming to be a young Banksy at work on a wall
In 2008 a Mail On Sunday investigation claimed to have unveiled the artist's true identity. The newspaper had apparently obtained a photo it believed to be Banksy reportedly taken in Jamaica in 2004 (above) and spoke to former friends of the man apparently in the photo
Such is the veil of secrecy around the man and his work that no one knows for certain his true identity, known to only a handful of trusted friends.
In 2008, a year long investigation led the Mail on Sunday to name him as former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham, but it was never confirmed.
But when it was suggested to Mr Gunningham that he was in fact Banksy, his response was as clear as mud.
'I am unable to comment on who may or may not be Banksy but anyone described at being ‘good at drawing’ doesn’t sound like Banksy to me,' he mused.
Now, a series of never-before-seen photos claim to show the graffiti genius in his early days working as a street artist in Bristol are being shown at an exhibition at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.
Titled, 'The Art of Banksy', with the trailer 'Who, exactly, is Banksy?' the exhibition includes 85 original Banksy canvases, paintings, photographs and a sculpture.
It goes on: 'Good question. No one can even agree on what to call him - or her.
Following the investigation, the Mail On Sunday named Banksy as former public schoolboy Robin Gunningham, but his true identity has never been confirmed. Pictured: A shot from the The Art of Banksy' in Holland, which claims to be of the street artist working in his early years
The exhibition has the the trailer 'Who, exactly, is Banksy?' and contains 85 original Banksy canvases, paintings, photographs and a sculpture charting his incredible career
The show is organised by Banksy's former agent Steve Lazarides, who discovered him on a photo shoot when the artist was working as a picture editor for Sleaze Nation magazine
'Is (s)he a street artist? A political activist? A film director? Or is Banksy a criminal who vandalizes public property?'
The show is organised by Banksy's former agent Steve Lazarides, who discovered him on a photo shoot when the artist was working as a picture editor for Sleaze Nation magazine.
Chris Ford, a friend of Mr Lazarides, said of the exhibition: 'These really have not been seen by anybody else.
'They are incredibly rare early material of when Banksy was putting up artworks.'
The artist apparently unmasked by the Mail on Sunday, Mr Gunningham attended the £9,000-a-year Bristol Cathedral School.
The newspaper claimed to have obtained a photo it believed to be the artist reportedly taken in Jamaica in 2004. It spoke to a number of former friends and colleagues and claimed it had come as close as anyone to identifying the elusive artist.
Banksy was apparently unveiled as a public schoolboy who attended £9,000-a-year Bristol Cathedral School. Pictured: Banksy's Dismaland 'bemusement park' in Weston-Super-Mare
Scott Nurse, an insurance broker, who was in Mr Gunningham's class, said: 'He was one of three people in my year who were extremely talented at art.
No one has ever proved Banksy's identity without a doubt
'He did lots of illustrations. I am not at all surprised if he is Banksy. He was also in the house rugby team and I think he played hockey as well.'
Camilla Stacey, a curator at Bristol's Here Gallery, owned a property that Mr Gunningham once lived in, said he and Banksy are the same person.
She claimed to be certain that Banksy lived at the property due to the distinctive artwork she found on the walls.
She said: 'The place had been covered in graffiti and stuff like that.
'I threw things in the bin. At that point Banksy was just someone putting up stuff around Bristol.
'He was just another artist who had graffitied around Bristol. It keeps me awake at night sometimes thinking about it.'
There is also a theory that Banksy is a collective of artists - and another claim that he does not exist at all.
Fans hoped he would finally reveal himself in his 2010 graffiti documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop.
He appeared and spoke in the film but his face was heavily pixellated and his voice distorted to the point even his accent was unrecognisable.
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