Banksy: Who is Banksy? What we know about the anonymous graffiti artist

This piece of a girl letting go of a heart-shaped balloon is one of Banksy's most famous artworks. It was made using a stencil and originally painted onto the wall of a printing shop in Shoreditch in London in 2002. In 2017, it was voted the nation's favourite artwork

Every time a piece by Banksy appears people get very excited.

His work can fetch well over £1 million and is known all over the world.

The artwork has caused a stir in Bristol

In fact he's just revealed new artwork for Valentine's Day - a girl firing red plastic flowers from a catapult on a house wall in Bristol.

But what do we really know about the mystery artist?

Who is Banksy? And when he did first appear?

We don't exactly know. Banksy is a famous - but anonymous - British graffiti artist. He keeps his identity a secret.

Although a lot of his art is produced in public places, he usually only reveals it's his after it has appeared on his social media.

A lot of his art is done in a particular style which people can easily recognise.

Although lots of people have tried to guess who he is, his identity has still not been revealed.

Banksy first got noticed for spray-painting trains and walls in his home city of Bristol during the early 1990s.

Street art and graffiti can be considered criminal damage, so in the beginning it's thought the artist stayed anonymous to keep out of trouble.

In the beginning his pieces were mainly in Bristol, but in the 2000s his artworks started appearing all over the UK and other parts of the world.

What is Banksy's style?

Banksy chose to use stencils to create his pieces, probably because it's a faster way to paint. He was influenced in his early days by a French graffiti artist called Blek le Rat.

Blek le Rat is considered to be the father of stencil graffiti and people sometimes confuse the work of the two artists.

Banksy doesn't only do street art, he's produced drawings, paintings and installation pieces. He even created his own theme park called Dismaland.

What is he trying to say with his art?

In May 2017, a mural showing a workman chipping away at one of the EU flag's stars appeared at the ferry port in Dover. It is believed to be the work of Banksy

Banksy's work is known for delivering political messages.

In December 2019, he raised the issue of homelessness with a mural showing two reindeer that appear to be pulling a sleigh.

A 2018 piece in Port Talbot he made a piece showing a boy catching what appears to be snowflakes but is in fact ash from a fire.

This is thought to be about the problem of pollution.

How much does Banksy's work cost?

This picture appeared on the side of a classroom at a primary school in Bristol during half-term in June 2016. It turned out to be the work of Banksy

Banksy's work is very valuable and can go for thousands of pounds.

Lots of people who love what he does, and are willing to pay a lot for his work.

At auction in 2008 a piece of work called Keep It Spotless was sold for just over £1 million.

In the same year, a mobile home that had a piece of Banksy artwork on it was given a £500,000 price tag. This was because of the artwork that it had on the side.

Banksy's Girl With Red Balloon "self-destructed" after it was sold at auction

Banksy has often made clear that he doesn't like his work selling for so much money. In 2008, a painting went for £1 million before destroying itself in front of a surprised an horrified auction house.

And because many people consider street art to be vandalism, some of his work was painted over as soon as it appeared. Sometimes graffiti artists put their own work over it.

Because of this when a Banksy does appear the owner usually covers it up with plastic sheeting to protect it.

There is a debate about why Banksy's work can be protected as 'art' when other graffiti artists are prosecuted and sometimes even put in prison for doing the same thing.

When Banksy leaves his artwork on buildings, there can sometimes be arguments about who owns the pieces and what should be done with them, as they are very valuable.

Sometimes people want to sell them to raise money for a cause, while others think the works should be left to be enjoyed by others.

What you think? Let us know in the comments.