Legal action is being taken against Banksy’s company, Pest Control, by two art collectors who claim that the organisation has refused to confirm the authenticity of the piece ‘Monkey Queen’. Nicky Katz and Ray Howse have been attempting to obtain official confirmation from Pest Control for the past three years, without which the value of the piece would be substantially reduced.
If the dispute ends up in court, it could force the artist to reveal his true identity. Banksy’s real name has been the subject of much speculation for a long time, with many identifying Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack and Jamie Hewlett of Gorillaz as potential candidates.
Last year, a previously-unreleased interview that Banksy conducted with the BBC in 2003 appeared to confirm that his first name is Robbie. The interview saw Banksy conversing with Nigel Wrench for the BBC’s ‘Turf War’ show. Asked whether he could use his real name in the interview, Wrench proposed the name Robert Banks, to which Banksy replied, “It’s Robbie.”
Banksy made headlines in December 2021 when two men were arrested in connection with the supposed theft of a new Banksy artwork in Peckham, South London. The piece in question was an anti-war protest that showed a ‘STOP’ traffic sign with war aircraft emblazoned on it. While Banksy did not provide any explanation as to the meaning behind the artwork, many speculated that it was related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, given the artist’s close links to the area.
During the same year, Banksy created seven new murals in Ukraine, with each piece reflecting areas which had been heavily impacted by the Russian invasion. Banksy continues to maintain his enigma and the potential court hearing of the aforementioned legal challenge may force him to reveal his true identity
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