The mysterious British street artist Banksy is to be awarded an honorary professorship. The BBC reported on Thursday, citing the British University for the Creative Arts (UCA), which has several locations in the English counties of Kent and Surrey. The award is to be celebrated with a ceremony on July 6th in London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Banksy, whose identity is unknown, is said to be represented by an empty chair, according to the report. UCA professor Terry Perk told BBC radio on Thursday that the artist should be honored for his “human rights efforts” and “the impact he has had on the global art scene.” Banksy is an artist who is still considered an outsider in the artistic elite. He added: “But he certainly influenced the art world and the imagination of the public and we want to reflect that at our university”.
Banksy was contacted through his representatives and gave his consent, Perk told the BBC. There was nothing to read about the planned award on Banksy’s Instagram account.