Richard wilson
london, england

I started writing graffiti in 1984, it's something that never leaves you so even though from 1989 - 2012 I didn't do any form of artwork at all I was still heavily interested in who was up, who was writing, watching styles evolve. In 2012 I started to get back into art, doing some pieces when I could but by then my fascination with portraiture had begun. I tried some different mediums and ways, pencil sketches and more realistic acrylic paintings, but I really wanted to be able to try and emulate art heroes like Belin and Smug and be able to paint faces in Spraypaint. I did my first one in June 2016.

At that time I was doing various large portraits in Spraypaint  around my day job working at Bonhams Auctioneers which is where my love of portraits and figurative work really took hold, daily I would be able to look at lots of Old Master Paintings and also Contemporary pieces and it's truly become a passion of mine... To paint people that inspire me and art that tells a story, and in particular to be able to paint big walls when I can, where I can paint something that can really connect to the community around it.
This side of Street Art/Mural work is extremely important to me, painting works that reach people living around the wall with more than just something to look at, but something that can make them proud to come from where they do...it has been the best thing!

In Jan 2017 I took up using Oil paints as well, and since then have been focusing more on canvas pieces using mostly Oils, as well as the mural work.
I'm currently working out of my Studio in West London and it's become my Full-time profession, taking on commissioned pieces and also working on my own personal projects.