The Art of Banksy, 50 Earlham Street, London: 20 May-21 November 2021

The exhibit includes work rarely seen by the general public and is anticipated to be a spectacle of the upcoming Spring exhibitions, with his works spread across a 12,000 square foot space in Covent Garden.

Banksy is one of the world’s top political artists, whose most infamous work is his outdoor graffiti artwork, but  he has generally been ignored by the establishment, according to the curator Chris Ford, who believes every contemporary art museum in the world should have a Banksy on display. 

Banksy’s identity has long been disputed, but it is believed he was born in Bristol, with many of his works appearing on its streets and trains, including his most recent work ‘Aachoo!!’ on Totterdown Street. The mystery of his identity and the unsystematic appearance of his work adds even more excitement to the bold, often political, statements he makes with his pieces. The exhibition, therefore, is not authorised or curated by the artist, but is instead a collaboration of artworks on loan from private collections.

On display are prints, canvasses, screen prints, sculptures, unique works, and limited-edition pieces dated between 1997 and 2008. Some of the iconic works on display include ‘Girl and Balloon’, ‘Flower Thrower’ and ‘Rude Copper’. Banksy’s indoor pieces are unique and often forgotten due to their lack of exposure compared to his recognisable stencil graffiti work, however, they include works on canvas, wood and paper which are displayed in the ‘Art of Banksy’ exhibition.

 This is the first time the UK will host an assemblage of Banksy’s work, and as a one-of-a-kind exhibition, it will certainly provide an exciting, inspiring, and rare opportunity to indulge in the work of this elusive artist.