Don "Paul" Smith, also known as "the Banker", is one of the most active London-based street artists. I've covered his work here, here, and here. I've seen the artist hard at work many times around Brick Lane and have had a chat with him, and I even got a spray-painted "banker" image to take away once. He uses stencils to create his work, which is primarily portraits of people, with famous people seemingly a favourite of the artist.
The artist has been busy regularly with some work on Hanbury Street in some of his favourite places, featuring Elvis and also Mad Max in another place on the same street.
Some additions to Mad Max over a few days were made to this image over the past week to include lizards.
Other places in east London were also canvases...
He also painted the canvases opposite the Village Underground recently, which was a collaboration with a few other artists who owned the other three panels.
Bob Marley also featured in January, adding some brightness to a dull winter Brick Lane.
The Hulk was painted on Hanbury Street at the end of last year, but he did not last too long.
Marilyn Monroe was painted on Hanbury Street last summer.
Near Christmas and into the new year, many "banker" images with "banker and the Mrs" were painted in various places. The above one had "Merry Banker" written on it, and it appeared a couple of weeks before Christmas.
Sadly, the world lost actor and comedian Robin Williams last summer, and a tribute was created.
I'm not sure who "Huggy Bear" is, but perhaps this is a friend of the artist.
Hopefully I will be able to get any new photographs of Don "Paul" Smith's work soon, as long as it is not painted over too quickly.
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