It’s MY work, insists ‘disappointed’ street artist
A STREET artist has claimed the Nottingham mural is his work and not Banksy’s.
Itchers – who also goes by the name ‘Hers’ – claimed the artwork on Friday.
But just hours later, world-famous artist Banksy shared an image of the artwork on his official Instagram page, effectively confirming it as his work.
Despite that, Itchers has repeated his claim to the artwork and says he “wants answers” from Banksy on
“why he is trying to claim my work”.
The 28-year-old said: “It’s definitely mine, I’m not sure what he is doing to be honest. “I’m flabbergasted.
“I don’t know what to think about it, whether he is trying to help me out and show support or completely take credit for it.
“I was a bit disappointed when I saw he is trying to claim my work. People I spoke to said I should take it as a compliment. I just want answers from him, and I want to know why he is trying to claim my work.
“I’ve got the copy of the stencil I used - it’s clearly mine.
“But once someone that big puts it on Instagram I suppose people just assume that means it’s his, even when it’s not.
“It’s all going to come out in the end, I’m just trying to get in touch with the right people, to speak to them and get it sorted and cleared up.”
The Birmingham-based street artist says that there has “been some beef” between himself and the anonymous Banksy in the past.
It centred around Itchers painting a red nose on a Banksy reindeer mural created on a railway bridge wall in Birmingham.
Itchers said: “There has been some beef with us in the past.
“To be honest it was to do with the red nose I drew on his reindeer in Birmingham but it is art, things evolve and it’s nice to have additions to your work.”