Banksy’s real name is Robbie The BBC published an interview with the artist in 2003, in which he mentions his name
ITV News
Banksy is the most famous street artist in the world. Hundreds of thousands of fans and dozens of media outlets have been trying to uncover his identity for decades. However, he revealed his real name back in 2003 during an interview with the BBC. The corporation has now released the full recording of this audio interview in the form of a podcast.
In 2003, Banksy was a young street artist. Shortly before that, BBC journalist Nigel Wrench spoke with him, unaware that he was in the presence of a future global icon:
— Robert Banks, right?
— I’m Robbie.
— I’m Robbie.
During the preparation of the radio show, this segment was cut, deemed uninteresting. Even the journalist himself forgot about it, assuming he had interviewed an ordinary street artist, one of hundreds in London. Twenty years later, while going through the archives, Nigel Wrench realized that he had spoken to Banksy back then, during the presentation of his first major exhibition, Turf War. It was through this exhibition that Wrench identified the artist.
Banksy’s Turf War exhibition took place in July 2003
Nils Jorgensen
ITV News also covered Banksy’s Turf War exhibition. An archival recording of the segment was released in 2019, showing Banksy with his face partially obscured by a baseball cap and T-shirt. The footage aired on ITV London, but was soon forgotten until Bristol journalist Robert Murphy stumbled upon it while searching for other clips featuring Banksy.
Interview with Banksy at the presentation of the Turf War exhibition
ITV News
Banksy gave an interview to journalist Haig Gordon in Dalston, located in northeast London. In the clip, he appears for 35 seconds and notably says, "I’m masked because you can’t be the author of graffiti and then go out in public. Those things are incompatible". This statement reflects his commitment to anonymity and the inherent tension between being a street artist and maintaining a public persona.
The published footage also shows the artist using a stencil to spray a black insect on the wall, as well as adding to a graffiti piece depicting a child arranging letter blocks to spell the phrase "Kill more". As noted by ITV News, both works are credited to Banksy. This behind-the-scenes glimpse into his creative process further emphasizes his distinctive style and the provocative nature of his art.
The journalist recalls that during their conversation, the artist was "relaxed and friendly", but he also acknowledges that he has no evidence to confirm that he was indeed speaking with Banksy. This uncertainty adds to the mystique surrounding the artist and the numerous encounters that people claim to have had with him without definitive proof of his identity.