Never-before-seen photos show Banksy as a teen long before he became the shy superstar artist worth millions as school friends say its a 'mystery' that people still pretend he's 'anonymous'

These never-before-seen photos show Banksy agelong earlier he became nan awkward superstar artist.

The teenage Banksy - whose existent personality is erstwhile nationalist schoolboy Robin Gunningham - is shown clowning astir pinch classmates during a skis travel – and successful different photograph believed to beryllium him, visiting nan Berlin Wall earlier it came down.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, nan guerrilla stenciller, whose useful person sold for millions, was spotted arsenic a talented creator moreover backmost then, erstwhile he attended nan prestigious Cathedral School successful Bristol having started astatine nan past £700-a-term schoolhouse successful 1984.

His imaginative talents recovered an outlet not only successful creation classes, but besides connected nan stage, where, according to schoolhouse mag The Cathedralian, he played an ‘Ant Commander’ successful his first twelvemonth successful a capacity of The Insect Play, and was feted arsenic ‘commanding and having a shape presence’. The aforesaid twelvemonth he was a regular successful nan Under 12 rugby team.

It’s tempting to wonderment whether, had he chosen an acting career, Gunningham nan actor’s sanction mightiness beryllium almost arsenic well-known arsenic Banksy nan artist’s.

At nan extremity of his first twelvemonth he appeared successful 'Sitting connected apical of nan world', described arsenic a ‘wry, witty comedy’.

Gunningham bagged 1 of nan 2 lead roles, playing Bill, a builder, dangling atop a half-completed building block.

The Cathedralian picked him retired for praise, reporting: ‘Special mention must spell to Robin Gunningham for [his] master and clear performance.’

And he was 1 of 2 boys to person a Junior Acting Award that year, on pinch an English schoolhouse prize astatine 'speech day' held successful nan 12th- Century cathedral.

The acting continued into his 2nd twelvemonth astatine nan schoolhouse erstwhile he appeared connected shape again arsenic 1 of nan deaf gentlemen successful ‘Post early for Christmas’, a one-act drama group successful a engaged Post Office and performed during a luncheon break successful December 1985. He followed that up successful May 1986 by playing 'Blue Eyes' successful a accumulation of nan philharmonic Tin Pan Ali.

By 1987, Gunningham had moved onto debating and was a personnel of nan Junior Debating Society earning nan nickname ‘The Guru’.

In his 3rd year, his creator talent was recognized erstwhile his stylized sketch ‘The Time Traveller’ featured successful nan schoolhouse magazine, signed pinch a unique ‘R’.

In nan outpouring of that year, he went connected nan schoolhouse skis travel to Bardoneccia, Italy, a edifice known arsenic 'the Pearl of nan Alps' staying astatine nan Hotel Sommellier pinch classmates and teachers.

The schoolhouse mag reported that ‘the Pizzeria/ Crêperie 'La Fillande' and nan section café were nan favourite watering-holes. Other aprés-ski delights included a disco and a five-a-side shot evening’.

In July 1987, Gunningham took portion successful nan extremity of word 'Soiree Francaise' - featuring ‘Sketches, Songs, Music, Wine, Cheese, Video’ performed to parents successful French.

In March 1988 he returned to nan slopes connected nan schoolhouse skis travel to Marilleva, Italy, pinch different pupils connected nan travel including James Averis, a early Gloucestershire County Cricket accelerated bowler, who besides played master rugby for Bristol and Harlequins.

In 1988, Gunningham came 3rd successful nan schoolhouse creation accumulation awards and and his animation portion ‘The communicative of Fred and nan wheel’ was showcased successful nan schoolhouse magazine. He was a cardinal portion of nan lucky team. playing successful extremity and gathering a estimation for making spectacular saves. He continued successful playing extremity for nan lucky squad successful his last twelvemonth earlier leaving successful 1989 aft doing his GCSEs.

One erstwhile modern told MailOnline: ‘It’s overseas to spot these photos now arsenic he was conscionable different schoolboy backmost then, and while he evidently had creator and acting talent, he was different conscionable 1 of nan boys.

‘We were each alternatively amazed backmost successful 2008 that we had been to schoolhouse pinch this Banksy character, but nan moreover bigger enigma was why group successful immoderate parts of nan media and nan creation world proceed to dress that he’s anonymous.

‘I suppose it’s each portion of nan entreaty and his useful wouldn’t spell for nan ridiculous amounts that they do if he was plain aged Robin Gunningham from Bristol.’

Banksy’s astir celebrated and costly work, Love is successful nan Bin, was sold successful 2021 astatine auction for £18.6 million.

His Girl With Balloon image, which nan activity began life as, has been rated nan 'nation's best-loved activity of art', much celebrated than John Constable's The Hay Wain.

It was first sold successful 2018 arsenic a framed transcript of nan artwork, reaching £1,042,00, past a grounds precocious for his works.

Moments aft nan closing bid, nan portion began to self-destruct by intends of a hidden mechanical insubstantial shredder that Banksy had built into nan framework bottom,, but unexpectedly stopped halfway.

Only nan little half shredded and Banksy posted an image of nan shredding connected Instagram pinch nan words ‘Going, going gone.’

The female who won nan bidding astatine nan auction decided to spell done pinch nan purchase, and it was retitled Love Is successful nan Bin, and authenticated, earlier fetching nan overmuch higher value 3 years later.

Michel Boersma, curator of accumulation The Art of Banksy, successful London's Regent Street, told nan Mail past twelvemonth he was 'convinced' that group don't want to cognize nan personality of this Robin Hood of art.

He said: 'The nationalist don't want nan enigma to extremity because it's a beautiful fairytale. The creation world doesn't want his personality to beryllium known because it would return distant from nan mystique – and mystique makes money.'

Gunningham near schoolhouse astatine 16 and began dabbling successful thoroughfare art. The pursuing year, arsenic portion of Operation Anderson, undercover constabulary arrested 72 artists crossed Britain connected criminal harm charges. Those arrested included Tom Bingle, a graffiti creator acknowledged to beryllium Banksy's partner successful crime, who now runs his ain creation institution called Inkie. He was acquitted. 

Gunningham was not arrested and location isn't immoderate grounds of him being apprehended. But nan creator has confessed he had by past go master astatine evading police, helped by nan truth that, until outed by nan MoS, his sanction was a mystery. In his book Wall And Piece, Banksy said: 'When I was 18, I spent 1 nighttime trying to overgarment 'late again' successful large metallic bubble letters connected nan broadside of a rider train. British Transport Police showed up and I sewage ripped to shreds moving distant done a thorny bush. 'The remainder of my mates made it to nan car and disappeared, truthful I spent complete an hr hidden nether a dumper motortruck pinch motor lipid leaking each complete me.'