Born in Bristol, England, street artist Banksy is well-renowned for his politically driven art and mysterious identity, or lack of for that matter. Active since 1990, Banksy has truly spoilt us with humorous and rebellious street art, portraying dark humour through the means of graffiti, executed with unique methods.
Unlike traditional artists, Banksy uses publicly visible surfaces as his canvas, presenting his masterpieces onto street walls and various props, encouraging the swift spread of his work around the world via the power of social media and other platforms across the internet.
Girl With Balloon, 2002-
Arguably his most famous piece, Banksy’s 'Girl With Balloon' shows a young girl losing a heart-shaped balloon to a strong breeze, pictured alongside a small quote which reads, "There is always hope" A reminder to us all to hold on to hope, even when it feels out of reach.
A Shared Passion
Banksy and Shaku share a passion for didactic positivity; a means of using timeless artistry and aesthetic pleasure to illuminate a gloried moral idealism. Banksy’s venerated style of using an elegantly depicted domestic scene to skewer the moral pitfalls of socio-political policy. The result is Banksy’s work often celebrates a moral idealism which we should all tend toward, and a similar approach is taken in Shaku’s prints.
The design philosophy of Shaku is to gloriously convolute the different; the sub-continent and West come together for a refreshing but fastidious expression of bucolicism. This reflects a reality we should all endorse; cultural assimilation creates beauty, and we should not be bound by our difference. Hence, Banksy and Shaku share a didactic passion to use art to peddle social change and moral idealism.
Sweeping It Under The Carpet, 2006-
Originally brought to life in Chalk Farm, London, this piece is thought by many to represent government’s reluctance to tackle world issues such as Aids in Africa, claiming that such issues have simply been undermined by the powers that be. Although, Banksy himself hasn't confirmed this so we'll let you decide for yourself.
The aesthetic content of each Shaku item is the result of a harmonious marriage between the bucolic idyll of the English countryside and zealous exoticism of Indian artistry. Here, the colourful flourishes of an Indian design perspective inspires and amplifies the sweeping curves and delicate shifts in texture the English countryside brings. This reflects an immigrant idealism we should aspire to in life too: just as the cultures seamlessly convolute to amplify aesthetic pleasure and artistry, they should in the world as well - we should not be limited to the boundaries of national borders.'
The Flower Thrower, 2003-
A real stand-out piece amongst Banksy’s plethora of work, 'The Flower Thrower' depicts a man wearing a bandana and backwards facing cap participating in riot activities, equipped with a bouquet of flowers as a pose to harmful explosives. In this powerful image, everything but the flowers are pictured in black and white, signifying a bold message of peace maybe? We like to think so.
Although we may not be able to put a face to the name, Banksy truly is an art icon. We admire how he uses his artistic talents to create awareness of world issues and to inspire change, because art should create positive change and happiness, whether it's spray painted onto brick or printed onto a luxury accessory.