Banksy is a pseudonymous English street artist, political activist, and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and subject to speculation. His satirical street art and subversive epigrams have been active since the 1990s. They combine dark humor with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary can be seen on streets, walls and bridges around the world.

Banksy's work originated in the underground scene of Bristol, where artists and musicians collaborated. Banksy says he was inspired by 3D, a graffiti artist and founding member of the music group Massive Attack. Banksy exhibits his art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and self-made props. Banksy no longer sells photographs or reproductions of his street graffiti, but his public "installations" are regularly resold, often even removing the wall on which they were painted.

Much of his work can be classified as temporary art. A small number of Banksy's works are officially, but not publicly, sold through an agency Banksy founded called Pest Control. Banksy's documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary category in January 2011. In 2014, he was named Person of the Year at the 2014 Webby Awards.