Elusive street art legend Banksy has set up his own homeware shop in response to a greeting card company that tried to obtain legal rights to the name ‘Banksy’. To accompany the launch of the online store, named Gross Domestic Product, Banksy has also set up a mock showroom installation in Croydon, South London.
The pop-up store, Gross Domestic Product, opened in Croydon yesterday and will reportedly trade for the next two weeks. The actual shop does not sell products on site, with all sales being conducted digitally. In a statement posted at the store, a Banksy representative said the motivation behind the venture is due to an ongoing legal action. “A greetings card company are trying to seize legal custody of the name Banksy from the artist, who has been advised the best way to prevent this is to sell his own range of branded merchandise.”
If you want to pick up a Gross Domestic Product original and help raise funds for a worthy cause, bookmark the store’s homepage, which currently displays a flooded shop floor with the message: “The homewares store from Banksy. Opening soon.”