Banksy pays tribute to Pasha 183 with spray can gif

UK artist Banksy has created an image on his website in memory of Russian street art pioneer Pasha 183, who died last week. The gif-like image is of a silver spray can with a flickering flame emerging from its nozzle and the words “P183 R.I.P” beneath.

Pasha 183, whose real name was Pavel Pukhov, was one of Moscow’s most prolific and internationally renowned street artists. He died on Tuesday 2 April, aged 29. Although no official statement has been given about the cause of death, it is believed he committed suicide.

Pukhov was famously nicknamed as the “Russian Banksy” in January 2012, although in an interview last year, he said he had no intention of emulating the British street artist. “Of late, Pukhov became known for grandiose installations that beautified the urban environment by bringing gallery-quality aesthetics to the streets,” writes Alexis Lerner for The Calvert Journal. “Pasha viewed street art as a vital instrument for shaking the citizenry into reclaiming expression.”