Favourite artists: Banksy

Banksy proves that art can be far more than something beautiful hanging on a gallery wall. His work is witty, provocative and deeply human, using simple, unforgettable images to challenge assumptions about war, consumerism, power, inequality and the absurdities of modern life. What I admire most is his ability to communicate profound ideas with remarkable clarity. A single stencil on a brick wall can spark conversations that books and speeches sometimes fail to inspire. He reminds us that great art doesn't just decorate the world—it awakens us to see it differently.

I also love the mystery that surrounds Banksy. By remaining anonymous, he has kept the focus where it belongs: on the work itself rather than the celebrity of the artist. There is something wonderfully subversive about creating priceless art in public spaces, freely accessible to anyone who walks past. Whether or not I agree with every message, I admire his courage, originality and refusal to play by the conventional rules of the art world. Banksy has shown that one person's creativity, imagination and sense of humour can capture the attention of millions while inviting us to question the world we so often take for granted.

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Favourite quotes

• Fight the fighters, not their wars.
• Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint.
• If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.
• You can win the rat race but you’re still a rat.
• People who enjoy waving flags don’t deserve to have one.
• Nobody ever listened to me until they didn’t know who I was.
• You don't need planning permission to build castles in the sky.
• I want to live in a world created by art, not just decorated with it.
• A wall is a very big weapon. It’s one of the nastiest things you can hit someone with.
• All artists are willing to suffer for their work. But why are so few prepared to learn to draw?
• I just want to make the world a better looking place. If you don't like it, you can paint over it!
• Graffiti's always been a temporary art form. You make your mark and then they scrub it off. Banksy
• If Michaelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci were alive today they’d be making Avatar, not painting a chapel.
• When you go to an art gallery you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires.
• A recent survey or North American males found 42% were overweight, 34% were critically obese and 8% ate the survey.
• Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s okay. You’re here to live your life, not to make everyone understand.
• We can't do anything to change the world until capitalism crumbles. In the meantime we should all go shopping to console ourselves.
• I don't know why people are so keen to put the details of their private life in public; they forget that invisibility is a superpower.
• I’d been painting rats for three years before someone said ‘that’s clever it’s an anagram of art’ and I had to pretend I’d known that all along.
• If you feel dirty, insignificant or unloved, then rats are a good role model. They exist without permission, they have no respect for the hierarchy of society, and they have sex 50 times a day.
• The human race is the most stupid and unfair kind of race. A lot of the runners don’t even get decent sneakers or clean drinking water. Some runners are born with a massive head start, every possible help along the way and still the referees seem to be on their side. It’s not surprising a lot of people have given up competing altogether and gone to sit in the grandstand, eat junk and shout abuse. What the human race needs is a lot more streakers.