The Story Behind Banksy’s ‘Chocolate Donuts’

Deliberately American in terms of the spelling of ‘donut’ and in the selection of USA police convoy vehicles, this piece boasts a political and satirical meaning and it’s that which makes it such a popular piece among Banksy buyers on both sides of the pond.

If you are familiar with the American policing system, especially that which places large convoys around Heads of State and political figures as they are moved and transported around the country, then the imagery here will be of no surprise. In fact, the only surprise is that the convoy is seemingly there to protect a large donut – something which refers, in the eyes of Banksy valuers and buyers – to two things.

For one thing, the choice of a donut could be to represent the Heads of State both literally and comically, or at least that which matters to them most – commercialisation. By protecting the donut with a special police convoy, Banksy is hinting at the idea that the American police consistently and constantly prioritise the protection of the wrong things.

In another, even more comical reading, the piece simply translates to and visualises the American’s love of donuts – especially those in police roles who are often dictated in the movies and on television to simply spend their day eating donuts. By offering a police convoy a large donut, Banksy’s piece could be alluding to the American police force’s love of donuts.

The History of this Piece

Created as a straight-to-print work of art, Banksy brought to life both the ‘Chocolate Donut’ print as seen here and a pink strawberry version – both of which were released in a 299-original print run, all of which were signed on release.

And if you think that releasing 299 prints seems like an odd number, there’s a reason for it. As many fans of Banksy know, almost everything he does has a reason – the reason behind this being that Krispy Kreme (the famous donut store) had, just before the 2009 release, had to close 299 stores in 2007 due to financial problems.

Sell your Banksy ‘Chocolate Donuts’

As part of the high demand among Banksy buyers for original and signed prints, when this piece was released, it had to go through an automated reservation system which then picked the buyers who were given the first refusal of purchase.

As such, for those looking to sell their Banksy ‘Chocolate Donuts’ piece, getting an official and reputable valuation is key to ensuring you get the best price for it in today’s market and amid such high demand.