12. Banksy
The Rebel with a Spray Can
Banksy is Britain’s most mysterious cultural icon — a street artist whose identity remains secret, but whose impact is known worldwide. Emerging from Bristol’s graffiti scene in the 1990s, Banksy has become one of the most recognisable and provocative artists of the modern era.
His work combines dark humour with sharp political commentary. Stencilled rats, riot police, and little girls with balloons have appeared on walls across the world, each image instantly recognisable and deeply symbolic. Banksy’s art critiques war, consumerism, surveillance, and inequality, often with wit and simplicity that cuts straight to the heart.
His pieces have sold for millions at auction, yet his ethos remains anti-establishment. Works like Girl with a Balloon(famously shredded during a 2018 Sotheby’s sale) challenge the commodification of art itself. His projects, from Dismaland to his hotel in Bethlehem overlooking the West Bank barrier, fuse creativity with activism, forcing audiences to confront uncomfortable truths.
Banksy has shown that art can be both accessible and radical. He has transformed walls into galleries and satire into global conversation. In doing so, he has become not just an artist, but a cultural phenomenon.
