Guerrilla Graffiti Artist Banksy Shows His Face
Updated : May 12, 2009
Guerrilla graffiti artist Banksy has reportedly created his first ever self-portrait.
The notoriously secretive artist has previously gone to great lengths to hide his identity.
But his latest street mural, on the side of an office building in Shoreditch, East London, may finally have given the game away.
It shows one of Banksy's trademark necklace-wearing rats holding a placard showing what is believed to be the artist's own face.
The Daily Mail reckons the face is recognisable from previous photographs of a man believed to be Banksy.
The artist's anonymity gained him notoriety and he became one of the art world's biggest names with his works selling at auction for up to £250,000.
Buyers have included Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Jude Law and Christina Aguilera.
Last summer, a national newspaper claimed Banksy was Robin Gunningham, a 34-year-old Bristol-born former public schoolboy.
Banksy has never confirmed or denied that he is Mr Gunningham, but the foot high painting could confirm the elusive artist's identity at last.
However, Banksy's agent no longer authenticates his client's graffiti so the possibility that the painting was by someone else cannot be entirely ruled out.
VeryHappyPig has been a big fan of Banksy for years now, but we are a bit disappointed he decided to use a rat as his trade mark animal! VHP reckons a pig would look a lot better.
