Must-See Street Art in Shoreditch
London’s Shoreditch is well known in Europe as a hotspot for street art; this youthful and creative district has the best social media engagement for its collection of murals, graffiti art, sculptures, and paste ups with over 145,000 tagged street art posts on Instagram alone. If you’re planning on exploring the East End in hopes of catching a glimpse of the incredible street art that it has to offer, these are a few long-standing pieces that you must visit.
1. Jimmy C’s famous ‘man embracing child’ on Fashion Street
First appearing on the sidewall of independent coffee shop, Joe’s Kid, on Fashion Street in 2016; Australian street artist, Jimmy C spray painted this moving mural in his signature Pointillist style. The piece features a vibrant portrait of the cafe’s owner, Danni, when she was just three years old being embraced by her grandfather Joe, the cafe’s namesake and previous owner when it was first opened during the 1930s. Due to its sentimental meaning and adoration from the local community, despite the café having now closed down, this mural has been preserved and restored by the artist, allowing the memory of these East-enders to live on in all of their beauty
Location: 50 Fashion Street, London, E1
Photo Credit: Hooked Blog
2. The long-standing sculptures and installations in Ely’s Yard at the Old Truman Brewery
Ely’s Yard is what is known as the big square that separates Hanbury Street and Brick Lane, this open space acts as a peaceful cut through to Commercial Street during the week and a popular buzzy hangout spot on the weekends. Here, passersby will be able to spot a few long-standing street art projects from some of the biggest names in the game. Sat atop of some old storage containers is a Triumph Spitfire GT6 car in a beaten up Perspex Box, this is what remains of an original Banksy piece from 2005. The car was once bright yellow before Banksy got his hands on it; sprayed it hot pink and created a stencil in the driver window of the grim reaper, which disappeared due to damage in 2007.
Location: 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
Photo Credit: The Street Art Directory
3. Stik’s ‘a couple holding hands’ on Princelet Street
Voted the UK’s 17th favourite piece of art, this piece of an interracial stickman couple holding hands was first spray painted on ground level by London street artist, Stik, in 2010. The piece is highly cherished within the local Muslim community due to its impactful message of harmony and unity. Over the years, the stick-couple has seen many embellishments by other street artists, but it has also been vandalised on countless occasions by ruthless taggers. Every now and then, Stik will come by to restore his popular artwork for the enjoyment of the dwellers of the East End.
Location: Princelet Street, London, E1
Photo credit: Dutch Girl in London
4. The ‘Connectivity Matters’ mural on King John Court
Organised by the world’s leading street art platform, Global Street Art, sixteen incredibly talented artists joined together, fusing their varying artistic styles to make the UK’s largest street art mural entitled ‘Connectivity Matters’. The artists worked in groups of eight to create this long montage mural all within the theme of connectivity. The giant piece first began in the spring of 2018 and was complete at the end of the summer; it can be viewed from all of its glorious angles from King John Court and New Inn Yard just a few minutes walk from Shoreditch High Street Station.
Location: King John Court, London, EC2A 3EZ
Photo credit: Shoreditch Street Art Tours
5. Woskerski’s Ukranian portrait on Redchurch Street
All over London, street artists have been using their mode of expression to symbolise the city’s solidarity with Ukraine. Portraits, murals, and typography have been adorning the streets in support of the embattled country. This deeply moving photo-realistic portrait of a young girl wearing a hat with the colours of the Ukrainian flag was painted by London-based artist, Woskerski, as the war began in February 2022. The piece takes its place on the popular street art hotspot, Redchurch Street, and yet stands out so strongly amongst the rest as though it is looking you straight in the eye, asking for your support.
Location: Redchurch Street, London, E2
Photo credit: Art Of The State
Looking to explore more of the East End’s favourite street art spots and the talented artists that create them? Make sure to check out our full Shoreditch Street Art Trail available on the Bindy Street app.
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