Series · Banksy
Gangsta Rat
Released through Pictures On Walls in 2004, Gangsta Rat is one of Banksy’s most recognisable and enduring print editions. The work depicts a monochrome rat wearing a New York Mets baseball cap, oversized chain necklace and carrying a ghetto blaster, combining the artist’s iconic rat motif with imagery drawn from hip-hop and graffiti culture.
Spray-painted behind the character is the tag “iPOW”, a playful visual reference that combines Apple’s ubiquitous “i” branding with POW, the abbreviation for Pictures On Walls, Banksy’s long-time print publisher. Like much of Banksy’s work, the image balances humour, cultural reference and social commentary within a deceptively simple composition.
The result is a character that feels rebellious, confident and unmistakably urban. More than two decades after its release, Gangsta Rat remains one of the defining images within Banksy’s wider catalogue and one of the most sought-after works from his rat series.
About The Series
Rats have appeared throughout Banksy’s career and have become one of the most important symbols within his visual language. Anonymous, resilient and capable of thriving in environments where they are often unwelcome, they reflect many of the qualities associated with street artists themselves.
Banksy’s use of the motif is frequently linked to the influence of the pioneering French stencil artist Blek le Rat, often regarded as the father of stencil graffiti. During the 1980s, Blek le Rat began placing stencilled rats throughout Paris, describing them as “the only free animal in the city”. Banksy has openly acknowledged the influence. In Wall and Piece, he wrote: “Every time I think I’ve painted something slightly original, I find out that Blek le Rat has done it as well, only 20 years earlier.”
In Gangsta Rat, Banksy adapts this familiar motif through the lens of urban music and graffiti culture. The baseball cap, jewellery and ghetto blaster draw heavily on the visual language of New York street culture, while the spray-painted tag reinforces the work’s connection to graffiti and public space.
The image also reflects Banksy’s long-standing fascination with outsider identities and subcultures. By combining one of his most important recurring symbols with references to hip-hop and street art, he creates a character that embodies many of the themes running throughout his career.
Works in this series
Editions And Variations
Gangsta Rat was originally released through Pictures On Walls in 2004 as an edition of 150 signed screenprints and 350 unsigned screenprints. These early editions were produced in the now-famous red colourway and remain among the most recognisable examples from the series.
In 2015, Banksy revisited the image as part of the artist’s Dismaland project in Weston-super-Mare, releasing a number of exceptionally rare colour variants that were made available to selected VIP collectors.
These editions included:
Pink (46 examples)
Mint Green (8 examples)
Green (20 examples)
Orange (61 examples)
Blue (61 examples)
Grey (61 examples)
The Dismaland colourways are considerably rarer than the original edition and have become highly sought after among specialist Banksy collectors. The mint green edition is particularly scarce, with just eight examples believed to have been produced.
Collectors may also encounter Artist’s Proofs and other rarer presentation formats, although these appear relatively infrequently on the market.
As with all Banksy editions, provenance, condition and Pest Control authentication remain important considerations when evaluating individual works.
Collecting Gangsta Rat
Beyond the print edition itself, Gangsta Rat occupies an important position within Banksy’s wider career. The character has appeared repeatedly in both street and gallery contexts, helping establish it as one of the artist’s most recognisable creations.
Murals featuring Gangsta Rat appeared in Farringdon in 2004, Old Street in 2006 and New York City in 2013 during Banksy’s month-long Better Out Than In residency. These appearances reinforced the image’s significance within the artist’s catalogue and introduced the character to audiences beyond the print market.
Collectors are often drawn to Gangsta Rat because it combines several of the elements most closely associated with Banksy’s work: rat imagery, street culture, humour and social commentary. The series also benefits from a wide range of colour variants, creating multiple collecting opportunities within a single body of work.
Today, Gangsta Rat remains one of the most actively collected works within Banksy’s rat catalogue alongside Love Rat, Radar Rat and the Placard Rat series. Its cultural relevance, recognisable imagery and rarity have helped establish it as one of the standout editions within Banksy’s print market.
Notable Auction Results
Gangsta Rat has consistently attracted strong demand among collectors, particularly rare Dismaland colourways and examples with exceptional provenance. The scarcity of certain variants, especially the mint green edition, has helped drive continued interest in the series.
The combination of iconic imagery, cultural significance and a broad range of edition types has ensured Gangsta Rat remains one of Banksy’s most desirable rat-themed works.
Explore Available Gangsta Rat Prints
Optima Contemporary advises collectors seeking to buy or sell works from Banksy’s Gangsta Rat series. Speak with our team for guidance on provenance, rarity, edition types and current market opportunities.
