Shoreditch has the highest density of street art in London. It also boasts one of the highest concentrations of street art anywhere in the world. So if you love wandering down colourful streets and admiring public art, East London’s Shoreditch should rank high on your list of places to visit in London.
I actually live Shoreditch and I’m constantly seeing new works on a daily basis. So much so that a particular creation never lasts very long. Sometimes it’s only a matter of days before it has been completely spray-painted over with something new.
This element of surprise makes exploring Shoreditch fun, fresh and exciting. You never quite know what you will find, but you will always find something to catch your eye.
Over the last few months I’ve been collecting photos of street art 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.
Street art guide to Shoreditch
As previously mentioned, street art in Shoreditch changes constantly. While this keeps things interesting, it can also be a bit disappointing when one you like disappears. This also means that some of the murals I’ve included in this guide will already have disappeared by the time you visit Shoreditch.
However, I can guarantee that in its place will be another cool creation. While the exact pieces may vary, the streets themselves are very well established to street artists so I still recommend all the streets that I have highlighted below:
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 – a life-time in the transitory world of street art. As you will notice by looking at a lot of his work there’s a nod to Pointillism, a style of art coined by Georges Pierre Seurat, a post-impressionist artist from the late 19th Century. You can find his most famous painting, Bathers at Asnières (1884) nearby at London’s National Gallery.
However, while Jimmy’s style can be described as Pointillism, I read somewhere that he was actually inspired by aboriginal dot style art found in his motherland, Australia.
In one of his latest pieces entitled Psyche (2019) on the neighbouring building it features a striking portrait of a female subject surrounded by a flock of birds. Compared to his usual style, the application is looser and set to a limited colour palette which contrasts to his usual broad range of bright colours.
His most famous a mural depicts David Bowie and is located in Brixton.
A little bit further down I spotted some amusing ones, in particular Donald Trump, aka the Tangerine Tyrant! You’ll probably see Trump pop up on the walls more than once – he seems to be a popular theme among street artists!
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. During lockdown I spotted some lovely posters to promote community kindness too.
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.
In 1980s he lived in a squat in Berlin, and is best known for reportedly being the first artist to paint the Berlin Wall. If that’s true, he deserves his place among notable street artists.
At the time it was a controversial act but soon became a symbol of defying communism. Other artists such as the late Keith Haring followed – sending a message 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.
The is mural so large took it 16 artists to complete. It 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. Increased rent has forced out some people who originally called this area home, and today the cost of rent prevents creative types from moving in altogether.
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. FYI, I recommend heading to Whitechapel for London’s best curry places.
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.
Read more: The Colourful History of Brick Lane in East London
Buxton Street
Buxton Street is one of the many smaller streets that veer onto Brick Lane. It’s 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 while 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.
I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing what the walls have to offer in Shoreditch. If you’re interested in seeing more street art all across the city, check out 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).
2 responses
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!
I lived in Catherwood Court ,council flats in Murray Grove and Provost Street till 1958.What are the closest spots to there for street art.