The Art of Banksy is the world’s largest exhibition of the anonymous graffiti artist’s works, and it’s at Te Pae Christchurch until the end of this week.
It has brought Banksy’s works to over 1.5 million visitors across 19 cities worldwide.
More than 150 authenticated Banksy pieces are on display, including prints, canvases and other unique works.
The British street artist, activist, and filmmaker rose to prominence in the late 1990s and is among the most influential contemporary artists worldwide. Despite decades of speculation, he has never confirmed his name, face, or biography.
Banksy’s story begins in Bristol, a city with a strong underground graffiti culture. In the 1990s, he began painting freehand, working in the fast-moving scene of tags, throw-ups, and large-scale murals, but he soon moved to stencil art as his work became bolder and more political.
Over time, his visual language became instantly recognisable: sharp silhouettes, dark humour, simple colour palettes, and punchy slogans that delivered hard-edged messages.
By the early 2000s, Banksy’s work spread across London and the world. He became known for public artworks that challenged authority, mocked systems of control, and questioned social values.
As street art moved from the margins into mainstream culture, his pieces began appearing in major cities, including on walls in Palestine in the mid-2000s, where he used art to comment on the separation barrier and life under occupation.
Around the same period, he expanded into gallery-style shows, but often framed them as anti-establishment statements rather than traditional exhibitions.
In 2010, Banksy released the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, a film that both celebrates and satirises the art world, exploring questions of authenticity, hype, and commercialisation.
As Banksy’s fame grew, so did the tension between his anti-capitalist messages and the soaring value of his work in auctions and private collections.
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