Summary
Kids On Guns shows two children in black silhouette standing hand-in-hand atop a mound built entirely of guns, rifles, missiles and knives; a pigtailed girl holds a red heart-shaped balloon while the boy clutches a teddy bear, the red heart the only color against a stark white ground. It is one of Banksy's defining early stencil images, distilling his anti-war message into a single tender-yet-grim tableau, and this is the rare 2003 First Edition of just 20.
Why It Matters
The image is Banksy at his most economical and emotionally direct: childhood innocence (the heart balloon, the teddy bear, two kids holding hands) literally elevated by, and standing on, the global arms trade. Produced as British and American troops were entering Iraq, it reads the post-9/11 war machine through the imagery of children rather than soldiers, making the human cost legible at a glance. The motifs here, the children, the red heart and the floating balloon, feed directly into Banksy's most iconic later works, and the piece remains one of the clearest statements of the anti-war strand that runs through his entire output.
Collector Perspective
This is the scarcest tier of the image: the 2003 First Edition was issued in an edition of only 20, far smaller than the later signed and unsigned screen-print runs of Kids On Guns that most collectors encounter. At 20 copies it is a genuinely rare object that trades infrequently and almost always at auction or through specialist dealers rather than on the open market. As with all Banksy editions, authentication via Pest Control is the decisive factor in value and salability; buyers should confirm paperwork and provenance and verify whether a given example is signed or unsigned, as that materially affects price. Demand for the core children/balloon imagery keeps liquidity strong despite the tiny population.
Historical Context
Kids On Guns dates to 2003, the heart of Banksy's Stencil Boom Era and the period of his rise from Bristol and London walls to gallery editions, much of it published through Pictures on Walls. The year coincided with the invasion of Iraq and intense anti-war sentiment in the UK, the backdrop against which Banksy's mound-of-weapons motif lands. The image belongs to the same family of early Banksy children-and-conflict works and prefigures the red-heart-balloon vocabulary he would make globally famous with Girl with Balloon. The First Edition of 20 represents the earliest, smallest issue of the composition.
FAQ
What does Kids On Guns depict?
Two children in black silhouette stand hand-in-hand on top of a hill made entirely of guns, rifles, missiles and knives. A pigtailed girl holds the string of a red heart-shaped balloon and the boy holds a teddy bear; the red heart is the only color against a white background.
How large is the edition?
This is the First Edition, issued in an edition of just 20, the smallest and earliest run of the Kids On Guns image and far rarer than Banksy's later screen-print editions of the same composition.
What year is it from?
2003, during Banksy's Stencil Boom Era and the period surrounding the Iraq War, much of his edition work from this time published via Pictures on Walls.
Is this print signed?
The title does not specify signed or artist proof, so buyers should confirm with the specific example whether it is signed or unsigned and, critically, that it carries Pest Control authentication, which governs Banksy value and resale.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from Bristol in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark humour and anti-war, anti-establishment messages, and recurring motifs such as rats, riot police and children with balloons or weapons.
About the Artist
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose identity remains officially unconfirmed. Emerging from the Bristol underground scene in the early 1990s, he developed a fast, stencil-based technique for working in public space, pairing dark humour with anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment messages. Recurring motifs include rats, monkeys, riot police, and children with balloons or weapons. Many of his prints were published through Pictures on Walls and rank among the most heavily traded in the secondary market, while stunts such as the self-shredding Girl with Balloon, the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and the Gross Domestic Product homeware line have made him one of the most recognised artists in the world.
Collecting Banksy at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Banksy prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Banksy prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Banksy prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Banksy and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.