Many times, street art carries a political or humanitarian message that the artist is passionate about. This is certainly the case for the striking new mural on Hanbury Street, painted by Dale Grimshaw and assisted by Mark Hat and street art collective Global Street Art. This is the first time that Grimshaw has painted the wall at this location, but I've captured a few pieces by the artist in Shoreditch over the years (Dale Grimshaw and others).
The image of a young boy in tribal costume is done to draw support of the "free West Papau" campaign. The people in this area wish that their part of the country was independent, and they have tried to enable this to happen and have suffered. More about this cause can be read here: http://freewestpapua.org
The mural is completed in Grimshaw's signature portrait style with blurred background. Grimshaw's work often features tribal portraits. This one has a bright red background with gold detail and grafitti tag. It is certainly an eye-catching piece and one of the better pieces that we have seen on this wall. I always enjoy seeing new work by this artist as his work is realistic and artistic with extra attention given to detail.
Leave a comment