Banksy is 'Robbie' – unearthed 2003 interview reveals artist's first name

Visitors look at "Smiling Copper" by British artist Banksy, at the Forbidden Art Museum in Barcelona on October 26, 2023. A rare nugget of information about the famously enigmatic street art superstar Banksy emerged Tuesday when he gave his first name as "Robbie" in an unearthed 2003 BBC interview. — AFP

A rare nugget of information about the famously enigmatic street art superstar Banksy emerged Tuesday when he gave his first name as "Robbie" in an unearthed 2003 BBC interview.

In the interview, one of the few known to exist with the global art phenomenon, he is asked if his name "Robert Banks", to which he replies: "It's Robbie."