Mural depicting Elon Musk as Adolf Hitler was not created by Banksy
The mural was created by an Italian artist called Evyrein and was incorrectly accredited to Banksy
CLAIM
A mural depicting Elon Musk peeling off his face like a mask to reveal Adolf Hitler was created by street artist Banksy.
BACKGROUND
Photos of a mural depicting U.S. President Donald Trump’s billionaire advisor Elon Musk as Adolf Hitler were shared online in the weeks after Musk appeared to perform a Nazi salute at Trump’s inauguration ceremony.
The salute – which saw the billionaire slapping his right hand on his chest before stretching his arm diagonally upward with his palm facing down drew angry reactions from many.
Musk and his supporters played down the salute, with some describing it as a “Roman Salute” and other saying it was nothing more than a heartfelt expression of joy.
Musk himself described the comparisons between the salutes as “dirty tricks.”
Photos of the mural were shared online with captions indicating it was created by famous street artist Banksy.
“The latest Banksy,” one user wrote.
“You’ve Only Made It When Banksy Unmasks You: Elon Musk’s Hitler Mask Revealed. Thoughts?” another wrote.
Posts crediting the artwork to Banksy were also share multiple times on Instagram and on a Facebook group called BANKSY Fans Love with the caption “Banksy Art Fans. ”
METHOD
The posts crediting Banksy as the artist behind the mural began to appear at the beginning of February. Looking at Banksy’s official Instagram page, where the British artist posts his work, did not reveal any photos of the Musk / Hitler artwork, suggesting he was not responsible for the mural.
On closer inspection, we can see the word “EVYREIN” written across the bottom of the mural. A Google search then led us to the page of an Italian artist called Evyrein who has posted several pictures and a video of the mural on Instagram.
RATING
The mural was created by an Italian artist called Evyrein and was incorrectly accredited to Banksy.
SOURCES
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: The latest Banksy [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: You’ve Only Made It When Banksy Unmasks You [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].
Instagram. (2025). Available at: #banksy #banksyart #hellscape #musk #elonmusk #nazi #facist [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].
Facebook. (2025). Available at: Banksy Art Fans [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].
Facebook. (2025). Available at: BANKSY Fans Love [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].
Instagram. (2025). Available at: Banksy [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].
Instagram. (2025). Available at: Evyrein Official [Accessed 27 Feb. 2025].