British street artist Banksy is seeking to take revenge on a fashion shop in London he accused of using his artwork without permission.
The anonymous artist encouraged his 11.6 million Instagram followers to steal from Guess on Regent Street after saying he did not agree to its use of his Flower Thrower artwork.
“Attention all shoplifters,” wrote Banksy on Instagram.
“Please go to Guess on Regent Street. They've helped themselves to my artwork without asking, how can it be wrong for you to do the same to their clothes?”
The post has been liked more than a million times on the social media platform.
Guess has since closed the store and covered its window displays.
As well as using Banksy's work, the fashion retailer is selling a collection featuring some of the artist's designs.
The clothing was produced in collaboration with Brandalised, a company that licenses graffiti images for use on commercial products.
Last year, Banksy lost a UK court case to protect his designs. The ruling said he could not protect the works unless he claimed them under his legal name.
It followed a ruling by a UK court in favour of Full Colour Black, a subsidiary company of Brandalised, granting it trademarks to Banksy's work, despite having no part in creating them.
The court said the works were originally created in the public sphere as graffiti, fashion watchdog Diet Prada reported.
Banksy in Ukraine
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Anonymous street artist Banksy has created seven works in Ukraine, including this image of a child in judo clothing throwing a man to the ground on a damaged building in Borodyanka. Getty -
Another work on a destroyed building in Borodyanka, which was hard hit by Russian air strikes. AP -
An artistic gymnast on a shelled building in Irpin. EPA -
A spray-painted image of someone taking a bath inside a gutted building in the Ukrainian village of Horenka, near Kyiv. Reuters -
Ukrainians have rushed to take pictures of the artworks. AP -
A figure in a dressing gown holds a fire extinguisher and wears a gas mask in Hostomel near Antonov International Airport in Kyiv Region. Getty -
A resident takes a picture of Banksy gymnast in Borodyanka. AFP -
Street art of two children on blocks of concrete in Independence Square, Kyiv. Getty -
Some of the images mirror Ukrainians' experience of the Russian invasion. Getty Images -
One image appears to resemble the Greek mathematician Archimedes, who shouted 'Eureka!' while exploring the ideas of volume and mass after noticing how water is 'displaced' during a bath. PA -
The artwork shows children playing. PA -
A gymnast in a leotard and wearing a neck brace waves a ribbon on the wall of a destroyed building in Irpin. Getty
The street artist, based in the south-western English city of Bristol, is currently in Ukraine, where he has produced several new works.
They include a gymnast doing a handstand amid debris, a ballerina in a neck brace, and two children using a tank trap as a see-saw.
