16 March 2026 | Image via Banksy/Instagram
The report draws on interviews, photographs and previously unpublished court and police records
Journalists at the international news agency Reuters have reported that, following a multi-year investigation, they believe they have established the identity of the street artist known under the pseudonym Banksy. According to their findings, the artist is now said to be using the name David Jones, having previously been known as Robin Gunningham.
According to Reuters, Banksy may currently be known as David Jones. The name is reported to have appeared in the artist’s official documents after he allegedly changed his name several years ago. Prior to this, the investigation notes, he had been using the name Robin Gunningham.
In preparing the report, Reuters journalists spoke with more than a dozen insiders and experts. While none of the sources directly confirmed the artist’s identity, those interviewed shared various details relating to his life and artistic practice.
The reporters also examined photographs believed to show the artist, alongside previously unpublished court documents and police reports connected to his detention in the United States during the early stages of his career. The material additionally references details surrounding the artist’s reported visit to Ukraine in 2022.
Reaction from the artist’s lawyer
The journalists shared the findings of their investigation with Banksy himself but received no response. His lawyer, Mark Stephens, wrote to Reuters stating that he disputed many of the details outlined in the journalists’ request. At the same time, he neither confirmed nor denied the information that had been reported.
According to the lawyer, publishing such material could infringe on the artist’s privacy, potentially affect his creative work and place him at risk.
Longstanding efforts to identify Banksy
Efforts to uncover Banksy’s identity have persisted for many years. In 2008, for example, the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday suggested, following its own investigation, that the artist might be Robin Gunningham. More recently, in 2023, BBC released an archived radio interview with Banksy recorded in 2003 ahead of his first major exhibition in London. In that recording, the artist stated his name for what remains the only known occasion, saying, “I’m Robbie.”
Via Reuters
