 Banksy is possibly the most famous graffiti artist in the world – but his identity has always remained a complete mystery. The fact the world-famous street artist's real name has forever remained elusive has perhaps been one of the most intriguing and alluring aspects of his work. Appearing on random walls and houses not only across Bristol, Brighton, London and the rest of Britain, but also worldwide, the unique nature of his distinctive stencil works have propelled him to international fame. A-list celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and the late George Michael are among those who have bought Banksy's paintings for huge sums of cash. At an auction in 2021, the undercover artist's Love is in the Bin piece sold for £18.5million and is one of several which have fetched millions. Despite his success and decades of concealing his true identity, he could finally be ousted for the first time ever – thanks to a High Court case. MailOnline claims that the Banksy pseudonym of Bristol born, 53-year-old, public school-educated Robin Gunningham is named as the first defendant in a legal action accusing him of defamation. Robin Gunningham has been named in a legal action as the first defendant alongside co-defendant Pest Control Ltd – which is Banksy's company (Picture: Reuters) Mr Gunningham's co-defendant is reportedly the company Banksy established, which is playfully named Pest Control Ltd. Legal action has been initiated by Andrew Gallagher, 56, who is an entrepreneur who began his career in the music industry by putting on raves in the 1990s and later exploited graffiti's commercial potential. Neither Mr Gallagher nor his lawyer Aaron Wood, of Brandsmiths, have disclosed any further information about the case. Mr Wood told MailOnline that details are currently 'confidential' and 'will remain so until Banksy or Pest Control file their){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Banksy is possibly the most famous graffiti artist in the world – but his identity has always remained a complete mystery.
The fact the artist’s real name has forever remained elusive has perhaps been one of the most intriguing and alluring aspects of his work.
Appearing on random walls and houses not only across Bristol, Brighton, London and the rest of Britain, but also worldwide, the unique nature of his distinctive stencil works have propelled him to international fame.
A-list celebrities including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and the late George Michael are among those who have bought Banksy’s paintings for huge sums of cash.