AN artist born and raised in Essex is making waves in the art world, with several critics dubbing him "the new Banksy".

During the pandemic, Will McNally decided to leave his job in the city to pursue his passion for art.

Between March and October 2020, the price of Will’s artworks has skyrocketed in value by more than 58 per cent.

His unique, vibrant portraits have been capturing attention around the world, with his work being exhibited in the UK and US.

Meet the artist born and raised in Essex who some have called the new Banksy

Meet the artist born and raised in Essex who some have called 'the new Banksy'

His stock has grown so rapidly he now has a 12-month waiting list for commissions, after painting pieces for international galleries, professional footballers, major entertainment industry figures and even royalty.

Will has been dubbed “the new Banksy” by several critics, with his trademark bright neon portraits of iconic celebrities and movie characters also earning him comparisons to Andy Warhol.

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Whilst many of his prints and canvasses remain available, some of his sold-out works, including neon-infused portraits of the Joker, as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix and Heath Ledger, remain in high demand in the art world.

His works have also attracted attention direct from Hollywood, with major commissions for movies studios including Universal.

Meet the artist born and raised in Essex who some have called the new Banksy

Meet the artist born and raised in Essex who some have called 'the new Banksy'

Other recent works have featured Mario and Luigi as the hitmen from Pulp Fiction, and Space Jam’s Lola Bunny as Margot Robbie’s character from The Wolf of Wall Street.

He's working on a new collection of superhero inspired works.

Will has also made headlines with a controversial piece in a recent edition of Playboy Magazine, putting the Queen in the iconic Playboy bunny ears.

Meet the artist born and raised in Essex who some have called the new Banksy

Meet the artist born and raised in Essex who some have called 'the new Banksy'

Will, who was born and raised in Essex, started painting as a teenager but kept his hobby a secret as he fear his friends would consider him uncool.

He even kept his passion a secret from his family and shocked them when he agreed to paint a piece which would be auctioned for charity.

This first piece was a portrait of the Kray Twins and is immediately recognisable as his style.

Years later and he is living his dream of being a successful artist.

With a highly anticipated new collection on the way, and rising demand for personal commissions, this is just the start of Will’s story.

Visit www.willmcnally.com.