banksy oscar

Banksy has welcomed the Oscar nomination for his film Exit Through The Gift Shop in the best documentary category. The graffiti artist, who has never revealed his real identity in public, released a cryptic statement, saying: "This is a big surprise."

He added: "I don't agree with the concept of award ceremonies, but I'm prepared to make an exception for the ones I'm nominated for. The last time there was a naked man covered in gold paint in my house, it was me."

Throughout Exit Through The Gift Shop, Banksy keeps his identity hidden via shadows and voice modulation, leaving many to speculate how the artist might collect his award, if he does win, without revealing his identity.

The documentary follows the evolution of the Los Angeles street art scene through the eyes of an artist, known as Mr Brainwash, who Banksy 'discovers'.

The film faces competition from Gasland, Inside Job, Restrepo and Waste Land in the category.

-- NME