Banksy

Banksy is an anonymous British street artist whose identity remains one of the art world's most talked about mysteries. Active since the 1990s and rooted in the Bristol graffiti scene, Banksy became famous for stencilled images that turn up overnight on walls around the world, usually carrying a sharp political or social punch. Rats, children, riot police, and a girl reaching for a balloon are among the recurring characters.

The work mixes dark humor with jabs at war, consumerism, surveillance, and the art market itself. In one famous stunt, a framed Banksy painting shredded itself moments after selling at auction for a small fortune. That mix of mockery and mischief has made Banksy hugely popular with the public, even as the anonymity and the questions about selling protest art for millions keep the debate going.