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Banksy’s iconic Union Jack stab-proof vest – made famous by Stormzy – is going on display in London

‘Vest’ is going on show to the public at Sotheby’s before being auctioned off

India Lawrence
Written by
India Lawrence
Contributing writer
Banksy bulletproof vest
Photograph: Sotheby’s
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Stormzy made history when he headlined Glastonbury in 2019 wearing a stab proof vest with a Union Jack painted across it, designed by Banksy. At the time Banksy made five vests as part of a collection, and now one of them, almost identical to the one worn by Stormzy, is going on display in London. 

Banksy’s ‘Vest’, a bulletproof vest painted with a Union Jack, infused with a rusty red hue, will be shown at Sotheby’s before being auctioned off on October 9 as part of Frieze Week. The instantly recognisable item is expected to go for £200,000-300,000, but not before you can get a peek at it for yourself. It will go on public view at Sotheby’s New Bond Street Galleries for one week from October 3-9.

‘Vest’ belongs to Banksy's Gross Domestic Product homewares line, which was first displayed in a pop-up shop by the artist in Croydon in 2019. Stormzy donned a similar design in his headline Glastonbury show as a comment on knife crime in the capital. 

At the time, Stormzy said: ‘Last night I headlined Glastonbury in a stab-proof vest custom made by the greatest, most iconic living artist on planet earth, the one and only Banksy.’

Emma Baker, head of contemporary evening sale at Sotheby’s said: ‘Given an iconic stature by Stormzy during his legendary Glastonbury performance, this reinterpretation of a classic piece of modern day police-issue armour is Banksy at his best. In a way only Banksy can, he manages to powerfully condense a complex social issue through one redolent object. There is no doubt this artwork is more pertinent now than when the first Vest debuted at Glastonbury – an event that saw it become the symbol of a defining cultural moment.’ 

Want more art in London? These are the best exhibitions on right now, hand-picked by our art editor.

And here are more shows to look forward to this autumn.

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