MONKEY QUEEN
2003
About This Work
Banksy’s *Monkey Queen* distils the artist’s razor-edged satire into a concise, instantly legible image, executed with his signature stencil-based street art technique. Crisp spray-painted contours and high-contrast tonal fields create a graphic authority reminiscent of political poster design, while the monarchic motif is subverted through the primate’s guise—an emblem of power rendered absurd, and therefore vulnerable. The work operates as a pointed commentary on hierarchy, celebrity culture, and institutional theatre, aligning Banksy with the lineage of British social critique from Hogarth to punk-era visual dissent. Balancing wit with unease, *Monkey Queen* underscores how symbols of sovereignty and status circulate in contemporary media, inviting viewers to reconsider who is permitted to rule—and why. Edition of 150 signed
About the Artist
Perhaps the most famous figure in street art working today, Banksy is known for urban interventions that demonstrate irreverent wit and a biting political edge. Enhancing his mystique by maintaining an anonymous identity, the artist has modified street signs, illegally printed his own currency, and ...
View Full Artist Profile →Zebra One Gallery
Contemporary Art • Hampstead, London
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