Banksy: a pseudonym, investigations and authorship
AI-generated symbolic cover. An anonymous figure makes an invented bird stencil on a city wall; symbolic scene, no actual Banksy artwork or identity.
Banksy became one of the best-known street artists while using a pseudonym and closely guarding his identity for many years. Yet saying that his name is entirely unknown to the public is now too categorical: in March 2026 Reuters published an investigation claiming to establish his identity through documents and other evidence. The artist’s representatives did not confirm its conclusion as an official disclosure.
Journalistic identification of a biography should be distinguished from authenticating an individual artwork. Pest Control’s official site identifies it as the sole source of certificates of authenticity for Banksy’s works. An image’s popularity or a rumour about the artist’s name cannot replace that confirmation.