Mask Might Have Slipped for London Artist Banksy

(Getty Images)

Elusive London street artist Banksy might have inadvertently revealed his identity.

A man bearing a striking resemblance to Robin Gunningham, a prime suspect in the search for Banksy’s real persona, was seen near a recently unveiled tree-themed painting in Finsbury Park, north London, on Saturday morning, the Daily Mail reported.

A 2008 report initially revealed the name of Banksy, who is reportedly a former public school student from Bristol. The report also published a photograph from 2004 taken in Jamaica, depicting a man identified as Gunningham standing by a bag of spray cans.

The new photos and video footage that emerged were taken alongside a mural that appeared on a wall in Hornsey Road on March 17, shortly before being defaced with streaks of white paint.

A fan who took the photos told the Daily Mail that they had been visiting the mural for several days.

“On Saturday there was more security fences and CCTV up and a few people putting up Perspex over the artwork,” the unidentified person said. “I went back at 10 a.m. to go have another look at what they were doing and saw this man who looks exactly like the photo I saw 20 years ago of Banksy.

“I found it weird he was putting up his own Perspex. The people putting it up weren’t wearing council uniforms or anything. One was wearing a Nirvana T-shirt. He must have been there for hours.”

The latest mural showcases an abstract depiction of foliage alongside a stencil of a person holding a pressure hose.

Banksy is also believed to have used the alias Robin Banks, and in 2017, DJ Goldie referred to him as “Rob” during an interview on the “Distraction Pieces” podcast.

One of Banksy’s notable moments came in 2003 when he disguised himself as a pensioner to install a piece in a vacant spot at the Tate Britain in London.

In 2018, his artwork “Girl With Balloon” famously self-destructed in a Sotheby’s London auction room, descending into a shredder.

The piece was subsequently renamed “Love Is In The Bin” and in 2021, it fetched $18.6 million, setting a record high for a Banksy artwork.