KEEP IT REAL, 2002

Exhibition

• Santa’s Ghetto, Dragon Bar, London, December 2002

Provenance

• Private Collection, United States (a gift from the artist)
• Acquired from the above by the present owner

Auction History

Catalogue Note

This intimate version of Keep It Real represents one of the finest documented examples from Banksy’s celebrated early series. Executed in 2002, the work embodies the artist’s enduring call for authenticity, depicting the now-iconic chimpanzee holding the simple yet powerful message “Keep It Real.” As discussed in the main catalogue entry, the composition has become one of Banksy’s defining artistic manifestos, questioning the relationship between artistic integrity, commercial success and the pursuit of authenticity.

What distinguishes this example is its exceptional provenance. Gifted directly by the artist to a private collector in the United States, the canvas is further signed, dated, and personally dedicated on the stretcher, providing an unusually intimate connection to Banksy during the formative years of his career. Such personal inscriptions are rarely encountered and considerably enhance both the historical significance and desirability of the work.

Its importance is further reinforced by its inclusion in Santa’s Ghetto at the Dragon Bar in London in December 2002. Widely regarded as Banksy’s first landmark commercial exhibition, Santa’s Ghetto marked a turning point in the artist’s career, introducing his work to a broader collecting audience while retaining the irreverent spirit of his street practice. Works exhibited there occupy a special place within his oeuvre, documenting the moment when Banksy’s visual language first began to transition from the walls of Bristol and London into the gallery setting.

Combining impeccable provenance, exhibition history and direct artist dedication, this canvas stands as an exceptional example of one of Banksy’s most recognizable early compositions. It not only captures the immediacy and clarity of his stencil technique but also preserves a tangible link to the artist at a pivotal moment in the emergence of his international career.