A single Instagram post from 1 November 2012 has quietly become one of the most uncomfortable pieces of street art history in recent years.
The post, uploaded by the then largely unknown artist iAMMANAKING, carries the simple caption “IAMBANKSY”. The image itself is raw and aggressive: a black rat gripping a cross-shaped paintbrush like a club, bringing it down with brutal force onto a white sheep, blood spraying across the frame. It’s a stark, violent image that feels like a direct challenge to symbols of authority and blind obedience.
Now jump forward to 8 September 2025. Banksy unveils a major new mural on the walls of London’s Royal Courts of Justice. The piece shows a judge in full ceremonial robes, his gavel transformed into a weapon, swinging down on a fallen figure below. The visual and thematic parallels between the two works are difficult to dismiss — both use stark symbolism, both depict authority being violently confronted, and both carry a raw sense of reckoning.
The question that refuses to disappear is simple: Did iAMMANAKING lay the groundwork for Banksy’s latest statement?
The team at Artworkz Productions, currently producing the documentary Banksy & The Illuminati, has brought this uncomfortable comparison into the spotlight. iAMMANAKING’s 2012 post no longer looks like casual fan art or homage. To many observers it reads like a bold early claim — a voice that arrived years ahead of the mainstream conversation, only to be largely overlooked at the time.
Was the “IAMBANKSY” post simply an artist paying respect?
Was it an early declaration of creative territory?
Or was it the opening move in a much longer, quieter game between two anonymous figures operating in the same shadowy arena?
iAMMANAKING’s artistic persona offers no easy answers. Built around a verified past as a high-level specialist and themes of restricted identity and hidden environments, the work seems intentionally designed to fuel speculation rather than shut it down. The project actively encourages audiences to question the lines between influence, coincidence, and something far more deliberate.
In the tight-knit underground street art community, whispers have grown louder. Some speak of quiet influence. Others suggest a deeper entanglement. A few have even started calling it one of the most intriguing silent rivalries the scene has seen in decades.
Banksy’s camp has maintained complete radio silence on the matter.
That silence, however, is becoming increasingly noticeable.
As the documentary Banksy & The Illuminati moves closer to release, the pressure is building. One thing is certain: the next major piece from either artist could finally force the conversation into the open. When that happens, the street art world may have to confront a question it has long preferred to ignore — who really shaped the conversation, and who has simply been riding the wave?
The brushstrokes are getting louder.
The world is watching.
Important Disclaimer
All biographical elements, references to the artist’s verified past, specialist background, restricted identity, hidden environments, elite narratives, Illuminati themes, symbology, psychological themes, or any speculated links, connections, collaborations, influences, rifts, rivalries or “unseen hand” involvement involving Banksy, Banksy’s camp, or any other artists are part of iAMMANAKING’s creative persona and artistic narrative. They are presented solely for entertainment, conceptual, and promotional purposes. These statements are not asserted as literal facts and should not be interpreted as such. Readers are encouraged to engage with the work as art and to reach their own conclusions
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