THE mystery of Banksy has fuelled more than two decades of speculation, rumour, and fascination.
In an age of social-media oversharing and celebrity worship, Banksy became one of the art world’s biggest names by doing the opposite.
His identity remains hidden, but his work is recognised around the world.
From rats carrying protest signs to smiley-faced riot police and the iconic “Girl With Balloon”, Banksy’s images have appeared in public places for decades.
They mock politicians, attack consumerism, expose the horrors of war and migration, and take aim at the art establishment.
Now, a major collection of his work has arrived in Colchester for the first time on this scale.
The Minories is hosting Out of Line: Banksy and the Art of Dissent, featuring more than 30 original Banksy works alongside pieces by more than 20 leading street artists.
For collector John Brandler, who has collected and dealt in Banksy’s work since 2003, the exhibition is different from many other shows linked to the artist.
“The difference between this exhibition and most of the Banksy shows is the ones in London predominantly advertise the show as ‘the art of Banksy’,” Mr Brandler said.
“The ones in London are photographs of pieces that Banksy has made – so the art of Banksy is a photograph.
“This is the art by Banksy. So if you're looking at something, Banksy has made it. The art by Banksy is by him.”
“The piece I'm standing in front of [“Rat with Drill”], he did that in Paddington, and he did the stencilling. He made it.”
The collection includes “Hula Hoop Girl”, a section of wall taken from Nottingham that faced removal after local organisations declined to take it.
““Hula Hoop Girl”, for instance, in Nottingham was going to be water jetted off the building because everybody had turned it down,” Mr Brandler said. “I ended up buying it and then I got some very, very abusive communications from a person in Nottingham with death threats. Scotland Yard were involved and he had to back down, basically.”
Two large-scale works were delivered to the gallery on Friday, showing the care needed to move internationally significant pieces. Mr Brandler’s “Season’s Greetings” weighs 6.5 tonnes and was not brought to Colchester, while “Hula Hoop Girl” has arrived.
“The more pieces you have together by any one artist, the more you appreciate each individual piece,” Mr Brandler said. “And it's nice for me to see them all together.”
The exhibition includes a Banksy work linked to the Colston Four, who were charged after pulling down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and throwing it into Bristol harbour during a protest. Banksy sold T-shirts to help pay their legal costs and made a different version for each man; one is now in Colchester.
Another work is a self-portrait of Banksy wearing a monkey mask, made around the release of his film Exit Through the Gift Shop. Mr Brandler said Banksy was moved on while planning to work outside Buckingham Palace, so painted railings on a nearby wall and was photographed in front of them.
The collection also includes a Banksy tea towel made during his Weston-super-Mare exhibition. Mr Brandler said Banksy’s team searched local charity shops for a cause that would keep the money in the town.
“One morning the ladies turned up to open up the shop and there's bundles of tea towels with a notice saying you have to get the name, address, e-mail and phone number and only sell one per customer,” Mr Brandler said. “So he wanted the money to stay in the town, in the community.”
Mr Brandler said Banksy became widely known after making hundreds of placards for a 2003 anti-war demonstration in London. Four are in the exhibition.
“Banksy has done for British art what the Beatles did for British music,” Mr Brandler said. “Banksy is not the best street artist I know, but he's the best known.”
The Minories’ creative director Emma Howe said Colchester was a fitting place for a show about dissent, citing Boudica’s revolt, the Peasants’ Revolt and the siege of Colchester.
“Holding this exhibition at the Minories here in Colchester is huge for us,” Ms Howe said, “and to be able to bring over 30 Banksys to our city is just a huge privilege.”
She said street art could draw in people who would not usually visit galleries.
“I think that street art attracts perhaps people that don't see themselves as being traditional art lovers,” Ms Howe said. “I think there will be people that come to this exhibition who don't think that art is for them.”
Banksy’s anonymity is central to the exhibition and his appeal. Ms Howe said it lets visitors focus on his message rather than his identity.
“I think he's able to say the things that a lot of people are thinking, without people being like, ‘Oh look, it's Banksy’. People actually look at his art instead of necessarily looking at him.
“I think that it's really important that we don't know who he is. We all are together in protecting that freedom of speech.”
Visitors can see works usually scattered across private collections, streets and galleries. For The Minories, the show puts Colchester at the heart of a debate about art, power and who gets to speak.
Tickets cost £12.50 for adults, £6 for children aged 5 to 16, £30 for two adults and up to three children, and £8 for concessions.
Tickets can be booked online through The Minories website, with early booking recommended because of high demand.
Out of Line: Banksy and the Art of Dissent runs from 10 October 2026 to 28 February 2027.
A March 2026 Reuters investigation claimed to identify Banksy as Bristol man Robin Gunningham, citing police reports and court documents, but the artist's identity remains unconfirmed.
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