He’s the most famous artist in the world – so how come Banksy is still so shy? Meg Jorsh visits new exhibition The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind to find out…
When you’re talking about Banksy, “mystery” seems like a strange word to use. After all, he’s one of very few contemporary artists whose work almost anyone could recognise.
It’s something to think about, walking through the hallway that leads to this latest exhibition. Banksy’s name – or rather, his logo – is written on the walls in vast letters, illuminated under coloured spotlights.
The effect is less “mysterious,” more “megastar.” And when Banksy unveils a new painting, like his September 2025 mural outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, it can literally be front page news.
A quick Google will reveal any number of theories about his real name. But for fans like street art expert Virginia Jean, who curated this new retrospective, keeping it a secret is just as important as ever.
I’m part of a tour group she’s leading through the show at Depot Mayfield, a former warehouse in central Manchester. “I like to say that looking at a Banksy piece of art is kind of like reading the newspaper,” she says.
And it’s not hard to see what she means. Every one of the paintings on display has a political message. Even his charming coastal landscapes, apparently bought up in charity shops, have been altered to add piles of orange life jackets – an eerie reminder of the small boats crisis.
Elsewhere, we see recreations of his works in conflict zones, like the occupied West Bank of Jerusalem. A room is dedicated to his 2022 visit to Ukraine, where he sprayed defiant murals on the ruins of bombed-out buildings.
His views make protecting his identity even more important, Virginia says. “He needs to be unknown to work the way he does,” she adds. “Because at the end of the day, it is vandalism.
“This vandalism can be punished. And not just with a little fee, or maybe a night or two in prison. He has spray painted very intense political messages in countries that could literally execute him for those messages.”
It’s clear Banksy’s work is a labour of love – but these days, an extremely lucrative one. It wasn’t always so simple for him to make money. His most famous pictures were painted on other people’s walls, making them the legal property of whoever owned that building.
“That’s why almost all of his pieces disappear,” says Virginia. “In the UK it’s a little bit different because he’s a local hero, but certainly in other places around the world.
“Or it raises the property values, which can become a big problem. Landlords can suddenly raise the rent if a Banksy appears on your wall.”
But these days, the outspoken anti-capitalist does a roaring trade in prints and canvas paintings. He must now be very wealthy indeed.
It’s an apparent contradiction the show doesn’t shy away from. Guests can watch secret camera footage of his 2018 stunt at London auction house Sotheby’s, where he rigged up a shredder to destroy his painting Girl With Balloon just after it sold for £860k.
In the aftermath, the picture’s new owner was asked if she wanted to back out of the sale. “This woman, she knew art and she said ‘no no, it’s fine,’” Virginia explains. “She took it and she exhibited it worldwide. She rented it out to different museums and so on, all over the world, on every continent.
“After three years of touring with this picture, she decided to auction it again with Sotheby’s. And it was auctioned for £18million.”
While this show is pitched as “unauthorised,” it was curated with help from Banksy, via his company Pest Control Office Ltd. “He calls it his bureau for the paperwork,” says Virginia. “It was mainly about making sure the information we were giving out was correct.”
The displays were put together by a team of 30 local artists, who spent 12 days recreating some of his less gallery-friendly works, including a life-sized London Tube carriage. And a portion of the proceeds will go to the Banksy Foundation, which supports his favourite charity causes.
It seems a shame the artist won’t be able to see it for himself. But with the question of his identity still on everyone’s lips – last week alone, he was named as Bristol painter Robin Gunningham – he’s probably doing all he can to avoid raising suspicions.
Virginia, of course, couldn’t possibly comment on the latest reports. “I think it’s good that we see him as this anonymous person, this known unknown,” she says. “Never meet your heroes – it will only destroy them.”
- The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind is on at Depot Mayfield in Manchester until June 28. Head to themysteryofbanksy.com for more information and tickets.
- Official hotel partners the Manchester Marriott Piccadilly has themed rooms up for grabs to celebrate the new exhibition. Find out more at www.marriott.com.