Name: Choose Your Weapon (magenta)
Brand: Banksy
Rating: 5 (236 reviews)

Track auction value trend

The value of Banksy's Choose Your Weapon (magenta) (signed) is estimated to be worth between £60,000 and £90,000. This screenprint has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 5%. This work has an auction history of 5 total sales since its entry to the market in February 2013. In the last 12 months, there have been no sales, however, in the last five years, the hammer price has ranged from £125,539 in October 2022 to £127,000 in December 2021. The average return to the seller is £107,329. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 25.

Meaning & Analysis

Banksy's Choose Your Weapon (magenta), released in 2010 as a limited edition of 25 signed screen-prints, homages Keith Haring's iconic barking dog, depicted here held by a hooded man against a vibrant magenta background. Banksy comments on youth gangs, alluding to the idiom "the pen is mightier than the sword”.

Banksy's signed limited screen print entitled Choose Your Weapon was released in 2010 in a lottery edition, available in a range of colours. Choose Your Weapon (magenta) features a hooded young man in dark clothing with a barking dog on a leash over a magenta background. The barking dog motif belongs to Street Artist Keith Haring and as such the Choose Your Weapon series is considered a homage to Haring. Haring’s graphic style deeply contrasts Banksy’s hyper-realistic stencils to help emphasise his message, which is thought to be a comment on London (and British) gangs who often have dogs known for their aggressive temperament.

The white training shoes worn by the figure may be an amusing nod to the 'Reebok Classics' generation. The man in this Banksy print has chosen man's best friend as his weapon, whereas Banksy has chosen street art. This Banksy print is highly coveted because it was the last time prints were available for sale to the public.