LOOK: Young, Masked Banksy Photos Emerge

Samreen Hooda
Updated
(Photo: )
(Photo: )

The book "Freedom Through Football" features the first ever confirmed photos of the extremely elusive Banksy painting one of his murals during a visit to Mexico in 2001, according to The Daily Mail.

[Scroll down for photos]

At the time the photos were taken he was still an amateur footballer rather than an infamous "guerrilla" artist.

In 2001, Banksy had gone on a football tour with the Easton Cowboys and Cowgirls during which time he painted this mural while on a break between games. The mural shows the Zapatista Army of National Liberation fight for independence against the Mexican government.

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"He went on tour with us to Mexico in 2001 and painted a number of murals in the community," Will Simpson, Cowboys footballer who knew Banksy before he was the famous graffiti artist told the BBC.

"He did one tour and shortly after, he might have moved to London. We see him every so often when he comes back to Bristol."

After starting off painting murals in Bristol, London, and Brighton, Banksy became famous for his graffiti murals and even painted some in the West Bank, the border between Israel and Palestine. Today, some of Banksy's murals sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Banksy is also known for pulling stunts, such as breaking into museums and replacing famous art pieces with his own work or placing an inflatable doll dressed like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner in Disneyland.

Photos Of Young Banksy Painting Mural In Mexico

This is the first ever confirmed picture of secretive graffiti artist Banksy - taken when he was an amateur footballer on tour playing against freedom fighters. Before he shot to fame as Britain's most successful artist, secretive Banksy used to be a goalkeeper for Bristol-based football club Easton Cowboys and Cowgirls, and joined them on their 2001 tour of Mexico. In a break between games with Zapatista freedom fighters, Banksy - who famously never reveals his face to the public - painted a mural depicting their struggle for independence. Club secretary Will Simpson said the world-famous artist began turning up to football sessions in the 1990s, before he became the figurehead for street art.

Photos Of Young Banksy Painting Mural In Mexico

This is the first ever confirmed picture of secretive graffiti artist Banksy - taken when he was an amateur footballer on tour playing against freedom fighters.
This is the first ever confirmed picture of secretive graffiti artist Banksy - taken when he was an amateur footballer on tour playing against freedom fighters.

Photos Of Young Banksy Painting Mural In Mexico

This is the first ever confirmed picture of secretive graffiti artist Banksy - taken when he was an amateur footballer on tour playing against freedom fighters.
This is the first ever confirmed picture of secretive graffiti artist Banksy - taken when he was an amateur footballer on tour playing against freedom fighters.

Photos Of Young Banksy Painting Mural In Mexico

One of the artworks completed by Banksy while he was on a tour of Mexico with a football team.
One of the artworks completed by Banksy while he was on a tour of Mexico with a football team.

Photos Of Young Banksy Painting Mural In Mexico

One of the artworks completed by Banksy while he was on a tour of Mexico with a football team.
One of the artworks completed by Banksy while he was on a tour of Mexico with a football team.

Photos Of Young Banksy Painting Mural In Mexico

One of the artworks completed by Banksy while he was on a tour of Mexico with a football team.
One of the artworks completed by Banksy while he was on a tour of Mexico with a football team.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.