Mason Storm

Mason Storm was born in London. He never attended a ‘normal’ art college, his artistic education began when he was about 12 or 13. One night while attending his local youth center, his Judo class was cancelled and so he wandered into the art class where his friend was doing classes. He continued wandering in and out every night for about 15 years.

Art always remained a passion, however, he left it to one side while he began a career that was very much removed from the world of art. As a distraction, Mason took to creating sculpture and was asked to take part in a show, and from then on he has gradually returned to art.

Mason’s work has been considered controversial and provocative, however he never try to be controversial in his subject matter just for the sake of it, there is always an underlying reason for the work he produces.

He is probably best known for his mask, as it has become a trademark, hiding his identity whilst creating a mystique which helps with promotion and publicity. He began wearing it when in 2010 he said he was going to reveal the face of the artist Banksy in an oil painting. The whole campaign was nothing more than a big marketing ploy, and it worked. 

Storm has persistently sparked speculation over the years, claiming to be one of Banksy's assistants. In a more recent development, he found himself at the center of suspicion as the potential true creator of Banksy's painting "Devolved Parliament" (2009), a piece that fetched approximately £9.9 million at auction in 2019. In response to the controversy, Storm released a series of "Monkey Parliament" paintings and sketches, suggesting that he might indeed be the original artist behind the acclaimed work.