Shoreditch in East London is home to a prolific and ever-changing street art scene. It boasts one of the highest concentrations of street art anywhere in the world so you’ll find works on almost every corner.
Lots of my friends live in this area of London so I’m constantly seeing new works and even old ones being painted over which can be a bummer if you’ve been fond of seeing certain ones around, but that’s also what makes wandering around Shoreditch more interesting – you’re never quite sure what new things you’ll see.
Over the last few months I’ve been collecting photos of street art to post on here and now that I think I’ve seen the best ones around I want to share them with you. I’ve also included their locations so you can visit them too if you’re in the hood – and more importantly, once we’re out of these precarious times and some normality begins to surface again.
Whitby Street
Whitby Street only consists of a few buildings but it pacts a punch. Most of them are covered with wall murals, including two by Jimmy C (real name James Cochran) sitting side by side.
The first mural has been around since 2012 which is a life-time in the transitory world of street art. As you will notice by looking at a lot of his work (most famously a mural of David Bowie in Brixton) there’s a nod to impressionism which for Jimmy was inspired by aboriginal dot style art found in his motherland, Australia.
However, in one of his latest pieces entitled Psyche (2019) on the neighbouring building it features a striking portrait of a female subject surrounded by and consumed by a flock of birds in a looser style and set to a limited colour palette compared to most of his works which offer a spectrum of bright colours.
A little bit further down I spotted some amusing ones, in particular of the current president of America, Donald Trump, aka the Tangerine Tyrant!
I’m sure you’ll see other politically charged pieces that capture the zeitgeist of Brexit Britain and other societal concerns that artists want to get off their chests.
Ebor Street
Around the corner from Whitby Street is Ebor Street which consists of murals by Ben Eine who is known for his typefaces. Currently, ‘Love’ is spelled out in different fonts but he’s been working on this wall for the last 10 years so murals are old and new and created for the purpose of promoting positivity.
There’s also a cool neon piece by David Speed who is one of the co-founders of Graffiti Life which was set up in 2010 with a clear vision of promoting public art.
Ten years on they probably would never have guessed of their success, having not only been involved in many workshops, community projects and live art, but also working with some of the world’s biggest brands.
Redchurch Street
Ebor Street connects onto the lovely and rather swanky Redchurch street. If you’re looking to treat yourself to something nice, Redchurch is the place for it. Toast, Sessun, Sunpel, Reformation and Labour & Wait are just a few of the shops you might want to hit.
Probably the best street in East London for independent shopping, you’ll also find the walls decorated with eye-catching murals and street art.
If you fancy a coffee, make sure to pop into Jolene – though you’ll probably find yourself waiting in line. This tiny bakery is very popular!
Sclater Street
A minutes’ walk away from Ebor Street you’ll find lots of street art filling Sclater street. One of the highlights is a huge sculptural brain that juts out of the wall, and since lockdown began some lovely posters to promote community kindness have been pasted onto the walls.
Holywell Lane
Up next is one of my favourite wall murals and it’s by Dale Grimshaw. It features his signature subject style of strongly tribal subjects, fused with bright colours and motifs. Every time I walk along Holywell Lane, I stop to admire it.
(Update: this particular piece was painted over a couple of months after writing this article. In its place, you will find more!)
I want to also include work by French-born street artist Thierry Noir. His brightly painted heads are scattered around Shoreditch, but who you might already recognise in cities all around the world.
He is best known for reportedly being the first artist to paint the Berlin Wall which he lived opposite in a squat during the 1980s.
At the time it was a controversial act but soon became a symbol of defying communism and was joined by other artists such as the late Keith Haring in showing that the wall was not built forever and could be changed.
King John Court
By walking to the end of Holy Well Lane you’ll come to King John Court and there you’ll be greeted by one of the largest wall murals in London.
A mural so large took it 16 artists to complete and was commissioned by a telecommunications company who set the theme of connectivity – a pretty spot on subject matter, eh? I guess that’s what you call good marketing.
It’s interesting to see each artist’s interpretation of connectivity with some more tangible than others.
Crooked Billet Yard
Around the corner from King John Court is a bold installation piece that reads ‘Oi! Can we have our art back?’. I don’t know who created it and I can only interpret what the artist means, but I think the question is about the rapid gentrification of the area.
For years East London has been popular among creatives due to cheaper rent, but like other places in London this is no longer true and increased rent has forced some people who originally lived there out, thus preventing creative types moving in.
Brick Lane
Now let’s head to Brick Lane, one of London’s most famous streets. It’s long been popular for its stream of independent shops, from book sellers to bagel shops to vintage clothes stores and curry restaurants (though I recommend heading to Whitechapel for London’s best curry places FYI).
Anyway, back to street art. It’s easy to get distracted by all the markets and shops so remember to look at the walls which are full of little works comprising of stencils, sticker art, poster art and tiny sculptures.
Buxton Street
Buxton Street is one of the many smaller streets that veers onto Brick Lane and is home to a collage of street art, much of which is political once you take the time to look at them in closer detail. New works are often added to the wall whilst older ones have begun to peel off to create something of a scrap book.
Worth a particular mention is the silver and purple female sculpture created by Urban Solid. However, the art changes often on this wall so expect it to look different if you visit.
Hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what the walls have to offer in Shoreditch, and if you’re interested in seeing more street art all across the city, checking my Street Art Guide to London.
Can't get enough of street art in East London?
If you want a more comprehensive explanation of the street art in London, why not join a guided street art tour? Led by experts fuelled by creativity and passion for the area, many of these tours are run by artists to ensure you’ll learn and have fun!
Looking for accommodation in Shoreditch?
There are lots of places to chose from depending on your taste and budget. I recommending scooping out accommodation on booking.com.
If you’re quite flexible with your budget, I personally recommend staying at either The Hoxton or Nobu Hotel. Both places are close to each other and offer an array of excellent bars, restaurants and shops on your doorstep.
(The nearest transport link is Shoreditch Overground. Old Street and Liverpool Street tube stations are also within close walking distance).
One Response
I’ve always wanted to visit London but have no idea why because I knew absolutely nothing about it until reading this post. I think I was right in wanting to visit though because it sounds like an awesome city!