Mystery down to a fine art..

WHEN you're talking about Banksy, "mystery" seems like a strange word to use.

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After all, he's one of very few contemporary artists whose work almost anyone could recognise.

It’s something to think about, walking through the hallway that leads to this latest exhibition. Banksy's name - or rather, his logo - is written on the walls in vast letters, illuminated under coloured spotlights.

The effect is less “mysterious,” more “megastar.” And when Banksy reveals a new painting, like his September 2025 mural outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, it can literally be front-page news.

A quick google will reveal any number of theories about his real name. But for fans like street art expert Virginia Jean, who curated this new retrospective, keeping it a secret is just as important as ever.

I'm part of a tour group she’s leading through the show at Depot Mayfield, a former warehouse in central Manchester.

“I like to say that looking at a Banksy piece of art is kind of like reading the newspaper,” she says.

And it’s not hard to see what she means. Every one of the paintings on display has a political message. Even his charming coastal landscapes, apparently bought up in charity shops, have been altered to add piles of orange lifejackets - an eerie reminder of the small boats crisis.