Graffiti artist

Banksy is an English graffiti artist, a political activist and film director. His works are on streets, walls and bridges of cities throughout the world. Banksy displays his art on publicly visible surfaces so lots of people can see his work. His first film ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ was released in the UK on 5 March 2010. In January 2011, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary for the film. In 2014, he was awarded Person of the Year at the 2014 Webby Awards. Banksy started as a freehand graffiti artist in 1990–1994. He was inspired by local artists and his work was part of the larger Bristol underground scene with Nick Walker, Inkie and 3D. During this time he met Bristol photographer Steve Lazarides, who began selling Banksy’s work, later becoming his agent. By 2000, he turned to the art of stencilling after realising how much less time it took to complete a work. Banksy’s name and identity is unknown. There is speculation that Banksy is a woman, or that Banksy is a team of seven artists. He tries to keep his identity secret because graffiti is a crime.