People have been trying for years to uncover details about Banksy, the famous but anonymous graffiti artist from Bristol, but they have been unsuccessful.
Photos and authentic stories about him are incredibly rare.
But the BBC has obtained exclusive anecdotes about Banksy from a man who hired him to work with children at a youth association in Bristol in the late 1990s, just before the anonymous artist's work became known around the world.
Banksy is one of the most famous graffiti artists on the planet, his works sell for millions of euros, and hundreds of thousands of people go to exhibitions to see them.
But, beneath the layers of paint, lost in the days of the Bristol youth club, lies a side of him that only a few people know.
Before he became famous, the artist left his mark, not only on the streets of his hometown, but also on the youth of the Lawrence Weston neighborhood.
There he gave art lessons to a group of teenagers just before he painted the famous mural Gentle, Gentle West (Mild, Mild West).
“If you look at the photos, you see the way he works with young people.
"They participated, had a good time and shared ideas. It was a real collaboration," says Peter de Boer, the man who brought Banksy to give workshops to young people.
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All that remains behind those unique murals are photographs of colorful, abstract, and vibrant murals on the walls of youth associations.
The BBC was allowed to publish them on the condition that Banksy's face be hidden.
The artist returned to the club several times, opening the doors to new worlds for excited children aged 11 to 16, who were unaware that they were working with a man who would become such a famous artist.
In the late 1990s Peter worked with young people and sought out local artists in west Bristol to inspire them.
A friend suggested someone who was leaving "tags" around town with his brother and started to build a name for himself on the streets.
That was Banksy.
"I got his phone number, called him and asked if he would participate in art projects. He was very enthusiastic," Peter recalls.
That same year, Banksy did Mild Mild West, the first large mural using stencils, in the Stokes Croft neighborhood, depicting a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three police officers in riot gear.
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Whenever Banksy came to the youth club, the children eager to learn were happy to see him.
The center, built in the 1970s with a clear purpose, has become a true gathering place for the community.
"Literally hundreds of young people would come there every week."
"It was very lively," says Peter, who is passionate about meeting the needs of young people in society.
He also remembers the excitement in Bristol over Banksy's work, but also that "no one really wondered who he was" when he gave workshops in Lawrence Weston.
He was just another artist sharing his skills and knowledge with the community, adds Peter.
"It stuck with me that he really had no ego. He created art with them, he didn't draw for them."
"In the morning, I would sit with the kids and talk about their ideas. Then everyone would take a spray can and the works would be created."
"He didn't participate more than the young people, it was definitely a half-and-half principle," says Peter.
So, how expensive was it to hire Banksy?
"For the first workshop I think we paid him £50. At the time it probably only covered the cost of the paints."
"I don't think he came for the money. It shows how deep-minded, kind and lovely a person he is," de Boer concludes.
The murals that Banksy painted with children were fun and colorful, but they had meaning.
Some featured cows looking up at the sky as bombs fell above them, which Peter believes depicts fears of climate change.
Others were more obscure, featuring a circus featuring robots.
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'I painted over Banksy'
Where are these murals today?
They've been painted over. Over and over again.
"I personally painted over Banksy. I even threw away his stencil when I was cleaning it up," says de Boer.
But he doesn't feel guilty about it.
"I have no regrets at all. The point back then was to work with young people and encourage them to participate."
"At the time, this was just another project," says Peter.
The value of Banksy's involvement in the youth association cannot be shown through money, but through what it meant to the local community, Peter believes.
It is often asked whether children remember working with a man who is today one of the most famous artists in the world.
"I'm very proud that he came here."
"We have young people in our community, maybe even parents today, who worked with him and may not even remember," de Boer adds.
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