Banksy and Damien Hirst works recovered in Poland more than two years after theft

More than two years after a collection of 11 artworks by acclaimed artists was stolen in Poland, the works have been recovered, international Polish public service broadcaster TVP World reports.

The artworks, which include works by Banksy, Damien Hirst, Linda McCartney and Shi Xinning, were stolen during a burglary in the southeastern city of Przemyśl on 24-25 March 2022. The 10 paintings and one photograph are valued at over $186,600 (€178,000), and were stolen while being moved from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, to Switzerland.

“On 9 December 2024, there was a significant breakthrough in the investigation, after nearly three years, stolen works of contemporary art by famous foreign artists were recovered,” Malgorzata Taciuch-Kurasiewicz from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl told Polish state news agency PAP.

Two days later, on 11 December, international experts confirmed the authenticity of the recovered artworks, she said.

The investigation, which has been led by the Polish-Ukrainian Joint Investigation Team under Eurojust, is ongoing, with authorities withholding further details. No arrests have yet been reported.