“Most artists have an obsession that defines their work,” reads the message from Banksy on the wall of Glasgow’s GoMA gallery. “Monet had light, Hockney has colour, I’ve got police response time.” Everyone’s favorite graffiti artist just launched his first solo show in 14 years. Cut & Run – 25 Years of Card Labour had been kept secret right up until the day tickets went on sale, but the word is out now.

The international man of mystery Banksy’s new show in Glasgow documents his first 25 years of stenciling.

“I’ve kept these stencils hidden away for years,” he says in a press statement, “mindful they could be used as evidence in a charge of criminal damage. But that moment seems to have passed, so now I’m exhibiting them as works of art in a gallery. I’m not sure which is the greater crime.”

“As the first exhibition ever to show the stencils Banksy uses to transform abandoned places, street corners, war zones and placards, Cut & Run is the closest we’ve come to seeing behind his mask. These cardboard relics – many of them also painted on to create new reinterpretations – are hung a foot or so off the walls and dramatically lit, their shadows play across their backdrops to form striking light-shapes. The effect is jaw-dropping. Yet for Banksy-watchers, it’s the storytelling that really raises the hairs on the back of your neck.”

Reading about the show online this weekend I came to the sad realization that I hadn’t been to Glasgow for more than 20 years. Way back in the 20th century, I had the opportunity to spend so quality time there and always enjoyed the city. If you’re in the UK this summer, it’s well worth a visit.