Banksy - FCK PTN full set ( 6x postage stamps, 1x envelope, 1x postcard)

Sheet of 6 stamps 10.9 x 10.9 cm + Enveloppe 16,1 x 11,3 cm + Postcard 14,8 x 11 cm.

 

Limited Edition of 250,000 sheets in the world.

 

Banksy's copyright visible on each stamp and on the bottom of the set.

While other murals left by Banksy in Ukraine are easy to understand, this one requires additional context.

Although the face of a male figure on the mural is not visible, it is implied that it represents the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Putin is known for his love of judo and he holds a black belt in it. His love for judo was an important part of state propaganda, representing their leader as a strong and competent man capable of defeating even the Russian Olympic team.

However, soon after the invasion of Ukraine, the International Judo Federation stripped Putin of all his titles and suspended his membership.

 

A young boy defeating a grown man serves as a metaphor for Ukraine, a relatively small country compared to Russia, defeating its more powerful aggressor.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry compared the work to the story of David and Goliath.

 

Marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian Post issued a new stamp featuring Banksy’s mural.

Apart from the image, they added a small inscription in Cyrillics, translated as FCK PTN.

 

A portion of the money received from stamps was meant to be used to repair schools and universities damaged during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Banksy, born in the early 1970s in Bristol, United Kingdom, is an anonymous street artist whose politically charged stencil works have appeared unexpectedly on walls around the world. Emerging from the underground art scene of Bristol, his work combines dark humor with sharp social commentary, often addressing themes like war, consumer culture, and authority.

 

By preserving his anonymity, Banksy transforms the act of creation into a performance in itself, challenging traditional ideas of authorship and ownership. His artworks, ranging from small stencils to monumental murals, occupy public space in ways that provoke immediate thought and public reaction.

 

Despite avoiding the conventional art world, Banksy has gained global recognition through major independent projects such as the Barely Legal exhibition in Los Angeles in 2006 and the art installation park Dismaland in Weston super Mare in 2015. More recently, The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem reflects his ongoing commitment to using art as a tool for protest, storytelling, and political awareness.