‘Banksy’ graffiti in Kyiv turn out to be fake

Three street artworks signed “Banksy,” spotted in Kyiv at the end of July, weren’t done by the world-famous anonymous street artist Banksy, contrary to what Ukrainian media reported.

“This is not by Banksy,” was a response from the artist’s official email to an inquiry from the Kyiv Post on July 31.

Banksy is believed to be a UK-based street artist who creates satirical graffiti focusing on political and social issues all over the world. Although the artist maintains their anonymity, he or she has a website and an email address.

Two street artworks resembling Banksy’s style and signed by the artist’s name were spotted near an electric car charging station in Kyiv on July 27. One of them features a two-head eagle (one of the symbols of Russia) with refueling pumps instead of heads, while the other depicts a mouse sitting under a tiny umbrella, which is a common theme in Banky’s art. Another graffiti, found in a different part of Kyiv, features a person throwing a Facebook logo like a grenade.

The fact a British trip-hop band Massive Attack performed in Kyiv on July 26 boosted the rumors that the artworks were authentic. Back in 2016, a Scottish journalist Craig Williams published an investigation concluding that Banksy’s artworks are either made by the members of Massive Attack or by its founding member Robert Del Naja, who was a graffiti artist before joining the band.

Although Banksy’s identity hasn’t been confirmed since then, many now connect Banksy with Massive Attack.

It led many Ukrainian media to report that the street artworks were created by Banksy.

Kyiv Post staff writer Artur Korniienko contributed reporting to this story.