KEEP IT REAL (WITH JAPANESE SLOGAN), 2002

Provenance

• Private Collection, Japan (acquired from the artist in 2002)

Auction History

Catalogue Note

This monumental cardboard version of Keep It Real is among the most remarkable and unusual works from Banksy’s celebrated early series. Executed in 2002, it retains the iconic image of the chimpanzee while replacing the familiar English slogan with the Japanese inscription 不言実行 (Fugen Jikkō), an expression meaning “actions speak louder than words” or, more literally, “act without speaking.” The substitution transforms the work from a simple translation into a culturally specific reinterpretation of one of Banksy’s defining artistic statements.

The Japanese proverb perfectly complements the philosophy underpinning Keep It Real. Throughout his career, Banksy has preferred direct action over rhetoric, allowing anonymous interventions on city walls to communicate ideas more effectively than public declarations. By replacing the English slogan with a traditional Japanese maxim, the work acquires an almost universal quality, suggesting that authenticity is a value that transcends language and culture.

Executed on corrugated cardboard, the work preserves the raw immediacy of Banksy’s earliest street practice. The humble support, associated with packaging and everyday commerce, stands in deliberate contrast to the monumental scale of the composition, reinforcing the artist’s conviction that powerful ideas require neither precious materials nor elaborate presentation. Measuring 135 × 90 cm, this example is unique within the series and possesses a commanding physical presence rarely encountered among Banksy’s early stencil paintings.

Acquired directly from the artist in Japan in 2002, the work also documents one of Banksy’s earliest international projects, reflecting his growing engagement with audiences beyond Britain while retaining the visual directness that defined his formative years. Combining exceptional scale, rare Japanese provenance and a culturally adapted slogan, this unique variation expands the meaning of Keep It Real, demonstrating how Banksy’s visual language could transcend national boundaries without losing any of its immediacy or relevance.