About Banksy

Since Banksy made his name with his trademark stencil-style 'guerrilla' art in public spaces on walls in London, Brighton, Bristol and even on the West Bank barrier separating Israelis and Palestinians. His works have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

He is also known for his headline-making stunts, such as leaving an inflatable doll dressed as a Guantanamo prisoner in Disneyland, California, and hanging a version of the Mona Lisa but with a smiley face in the Louvre, Paris.

But perhaps his most provocative statement, and the one that generates the most publicity, is the fact that Banksy's true identity has always been a jealously guarded secret, known to only a handful of trusted friends.

A network of myths has grown up around him. That his real name is Robin Banks. That he used to be a butcher. That his parents don't know what he does, believing him to be an unusually successful painter and decorator.