The Art of Banksy, exhibition Regent's Street

Street art fans, at the ready. The Art of Banksy exhibition, which opened in Covent Garden two years ago and has since travelled across the globe and seen by 1.5 million visitors in 15 cities, is now back in London. It has just opened on Regent Street, in a space three times bigger, with a collection almost one-third larger than the previously displayed one.

‘It is a spectacular overview of Banksy’s output over the years, combined with video testimonials by close associates and personal gifts Banksy gave to lovers’, says the show curator Michel Boersma.

Displaying the world's largest collection of original and authenticated Banksy artworks, some pieces, like the first Flower Thrower painting, are shown to the public for the first time. Banksy made it as a Valentine’s Day gift for a girlfriend with a message on the back, which the artist later removed by spraypainting a question mark and adding a new message.

One of Banksy’s most recent works – Valentine’s Day Mascara – was winched into the exhibition in the middle of the night just before the opening, a surreal moment for Michel Boersma. ‘We’ve been secretly planning this operation for months, but it was still an extremely tense moment having such an important and valuable artwork dangling from a crane above Regent Street!’ Weighing a massive 3.8 tons, the mural depicts an abused 1950s housewife throwing a man into a chest freezer. It is now available for sale to the public through 27,000 shares priced at £120 each but can be seen free of charge in the foyer of the exhibition.

For Boersma, the highlight of the exhibition is Banksy’s Mona Lisa. The painting’s history is extraordinary and typical of the artist’s philosophy: Created in 2003, it was sold to a friend of Banksy, a famous Hollywood actor, who decided to return the piece. Banksy then created a new piece using the original work. Unknown to the art world and owned in secret, the spectacular painting surfaced when the actor sold the piece in a highly publicised divorce settlement.

While not curated nor authorised by the artist, the exhibition displays more than 150 pieces and is an incredible survey that will delight art lovers and Banksy fans alike. Don't forget to drop by the incredible souvenir shop!

The Art of Banksy: 84-86 Regent Street, London, W1B 5HB

Book your tickets now at Art of Banksy.

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In partnership with The Art of Banksy exhibition