Series · Banksy
Choose Your Weapon
Released in 2010, Choose Your Weapon is one of Banksy’s most ambitious and collectible print series. The work depicts a hooded figure walking a barking dog, referencing Keith Haring’s iconic canine motif while reinterpreting it through Banksy’s own visual language. Combining street culture, contemporary art and social commentary, the image has become one of the artist’s most sought-after editioned works.
About The Series
The image first appeared as a mural in Bermondsey, South London, before being released as a print through Pictures On Walls. By incorporating Haring’s famous barking dog, Banksy creates a dialogue between two generations of street artists united by their use of public space and peaceful protest.
The title itself invites interpretation. Whether viewed as a commentary on gang culture, identity or artistic expression, Choose Your Weapon encourages viewers to consider alternatives to violence and confrontation.
Editions And Variations
Few Banksy print series offer the variety of Choose Your Weapon. The work was released in 19 colourways, making it one of the most complex edition structures within Banksy’s catalogue. Colours include Bright Pink, Bright Purple, Dark Orange, Khaki, Lemon, Olive, Magenta, Red, Sky Blue, Green, Turquoise and the sought-after Grey edition, often referred to as the Queue Jumping Edition.
Edition sizes vary considerably, ranging from 25 to 100 impressions depending on the colourway. Collectors may also encounter rare VIP editions in Gold and Silver, along with Artist’s Proofs and hand-finished examples that appear only occasionally on the secondary market.
Collecting Choose Your Weapon
The appeal of Choose Your Weapon lies partly in its diversity. Some collectors focus on acquiring a single colourway that resonates with them visually, while others seek to build groups of related variants. The differing edition sizes create meaningful distinctions in rarity, making certain versions significantly harder to acquire than others.
Alongside Girl With Balloon and Laugh Now, the series has become one of the defining Banksy print releases of the 2010s and remains a cornerstone of many contemporary street art collections.
Notable Auction Results
Rare colourways have achieved particularly strong auction results, especially the Gold and Silver VIP editions. Scarcity, colour preference and provenance can all influence performance, with the most desirable variants regularly attracting significant collector competition.
Explore Available Choose Your Weapon Prints
Optima Contemporary advises collectors looking to acquire or sell works from Banksy’s Choose Your Weapon series. Contact our team for guidance on colourways, rarity and current availability.
