This week I’m taking advantage of the good weather in London and visiting a number of galleries in Shoreditch. Yesterday was an enjoyable day, with two shows at the Stolen Space Gallery as the highlight. The first entitled ‘Indelible Elegance’ is the new solo show from graffiti pop artist Vinnie Nylon and runs until Sept 24th. Having been on the scene for 32 years Vinnie Nylon has gained the respect of street artists old and new. In this new solo show, we bring together Vinnie’s past, present and future to show the heritage in his career as both a graffiti writer and contemporary painter that has gained the respect of UK urban artists; most notably internationally acclaimed artist Banksy once donated an artwork to fund his first London show in 2012.
I was particularly attracted to the wonderful work of German artist duo Hera and Akut, known as Herakut. ‘Sad But Happy’ is a series of work illustrating a very distinctive and dark style. Depicting children and animals with large emotive eyes, they draw the viewer in to their mysteriously eerie world, making them contemplate the statements scribbled across the canvas and their relationship with the characters in the works.
Their dark use of colour contrasts with the bright and fast use of movement and brushwork. Their style welcomes a kind of imperfect perfection, the brushstrokes seeming erratic and fluid but also so beautifully placed. Their joint creative art process is about storytelling, the creation of imaginary worlds and inspiring their figures with individual characters. Hera sets the characters’ form and proportions, whilst Akut paints the photorealistic elements. This show runs until October 1st.
For further information on these artist please visit the Stolen Space Gallery.
A Day In the life of an Artist: David Emmanuel Noel 