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15 Celebrities Who Love Banksy

Actors, musicians, and supermodels are among some of the street artist Banksy's biggest fans.

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The enigmatic Banksy continues to be one of the most loved and hated street artists of today, despite remaining completely anonymous all these years. His art has captured the attention of people around the world, on the street and online, fetching exorbitant sums from those who can afford it. With a fan base that includes everyone from rappers to supermodels to kids on Tumblr, the anonymous artist's widespread fame is a testimony to his work's universal appeal. This month, HBO will air the documentary Banksy Does New York, covering his residency in New York in 2013. In light of the film's release and the artist's huge range of fans, here are 15 Celebrities Who Love Banksy.

Justin Bieber

Earlier this year, Bieber got yet another tattoo—this time, a well-known Banksy stencil of a little girl holding a red balloon. The Biebs got a lot of hate in his IG comments, and he deleted the image pretty quickly.

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

In the past, the power couple spent over $1 million on a Banksy piece at an art show in L.A. More recently, they somehow managed to convince the notoriously private and picky artist to accept a commission for their private collection: a large-scale mural centered around Hurricane Katrina, which now covers an entire wall on their French estate.

Drake

Drake posted the picture above on his Instagram, omitting any context save for the caption, “Who Dat.” The A/P most likely stands for “artist's proof,” indicating that the piece may be from an early printmaking or a draft that he purchased.

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Diddy

An art collector and a regular at fairs like Art Basel, Diddy recently Instagrammed Banksy's piece London Phone Booth with the simple yet enthusiastic caption, “BANKSY.”

Chris Martin

Back when the world was a happier place, and Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow were still together, the Coldplay frontman paid a cool $650,000 for Banksy's Heart Balloon piece—beating out bids from Bette Midler and Kevin Bacon. The proceeds were collected at Sean Penn's annual charity event, the Help Haiti Home Gala, providing relief to those who need it in Haiti.

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Swizz Beatz

A known art enthusiast, Swizz Beatz spoke with Revolt TV about Banksy's residency in New York. In the video, he discusses his love for street art and growing up surrounded by graffiti in the South Bronx. He expresses admiration for the fact that Banksy's art is available to people who “probably never would be able to afford to go to a gallery,” adding that “you should be able to see art for no price.”

Jake Gyllenhaal

For his 30th birthday, Gyllenhaal's mother managed to score him one of 350 prints that Banksy was selling. The actor joked that he could picture his devoted mom, desperate to nab a coveted print for her son, in London “just throwing thugs against the wall and being like, 'Where's Banksy, I know where you hide him!'”

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Anthony Kiedis

The Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman is still kicking himself for not investing in a Banksy piece when he had the chance. In his interview with The Sun, he confessed, “I met Banksy years ago and made the mistake of not buying art from him.” Considering that now Banksy sells his works for millions of dollars, that has to hurt. Still, Kiedis gracefully added, “I'm happy for him and the wave he's created.”

Kate Moss

The supermodel is both a fan and friend of the artist who, in 2011, was commissioned to paint a mural in the bathroom of her mansion. Additionally, one of Banksy's most popular prints features Moss styled like Marilyn Monroe à la Andy Warhol.

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George Michael

The British pop icon, who already owns around $600,000 in Banksy pieces, offered the artist over $3 million to paint a wall in his North London home. Apparently, Banksy agreed to accept the commission but “insisted on remaining undercover and [would] only go ahead if George Michael [went] out for the duration.”

Damien Hirst

The notorious British artist has several pieces by Banksy in his own personal collection. In an interview with The Guardian, he said the following about Banksy, “I've always thought he was great. The streets are boring. So I think anyone like Banksy who makes it entertaining and treats people like people instead of consumers is brilliant.”

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Serena Williams

In 2012, the Art Series hotels in Melbourne, Australia challenged guests to “steal” two Banksy pieces hidden within the buildings. Whoever managed to pull off the theft without being noticed would get to keep the piece, free of charge. If they failed, the art would simply be returned to its hiding spot. Serena Williams (a painter herself), who was staying at the hotel at the time, helped to present the challenge and then later tweeted about it, saying, “I might try…tonight.”

Christina Aguilera

The pop diva, an avid street art collector, owns “around 10 Banksys.” Most recently, she purchased his painting of Queen Victoria sitting on another woman's face for around $40,000. In speaking of her admiration for the artist, Aguilera proclaimed that Banksy “has a rhyme and reason to [his artwork], and isn't just painting a cheeseburger to be graphically interesting.”

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Bono

When Bono was a guest editor at the Independent, he commissioned Banksy to paint a piece titled Sweeping it Under the CarpetAccording to the Independent, the painting “can be seen as a metaphor for the West's reluctance to tackle issues such as AIDS in Africa.” The pair also collaborated at a charity auction organized by Bono, where one of Banksy's works sold for $1.8 milion.

Jude Law

Jude Law, who bought some of M.I.A.'s art before she became a musician, owns some of Banksy's works and was one of the many celebrities in attendance at the Banksy's L.A. exhibition, “Barely Legal.”

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