ART
“I’M NOT A VAMPIRE, HONEST!”
Arsenal street artist Northbanksy has gained fame for his murals, after a terrible misunderstanding almost led to his demise
Interview Nick Callow
Three decades ago, Arsenal’s North Bank was famously replaced by a giant mural for a full season during redevelopment work at Highbury. More recently, a few more Arsenal-inspired murals have been popping up in north London. The artist’s name? Northbanksy, of course.
Inspired by the legendary Banksy, a mysterious street artist who’s long been daubing walls around the UK, the Gunners fan’s moniker was always going to stick after his guerilla artwork began to be spotted alfresco, too. Some of his original works included a not particularly subtle ‘KROENKE OUT’ slogan, railing against Arsenal’s American owner. Photos swamped social media – when more graffiti appeared, admirers shared updates on what ‘Northbanksy’ had been up to. Clockendbanksy wouldn’t really have worked as well, after all.