Love. The Ancient Greeks believed there were eight types. Songwriters swear it's In The Air and All You Need.
Romantic or platonic, utterly unconditional or still a work-in-progress, love is love is love – and the world needs a whole lot more of it.
For Valentine's Day 2024, we partnered with curator Kim Shaylor and her online gallery, GONE ROGUE, to commission six renowned Street Artists: ALO, Ben Allen, David Speed, LUAP, Olly Howe and Opake, to fill our windows with works inspired by what love looks like to them, all of which can be explored below.
But now that Cupid's been and gone, we're excited to share that we are auctioning these six one-of-a-kind artworks via The Auction Collective and all profits from the auction will be donated to Centrepoint (registered charity number 292411), the UK's leading youth homelessness charity.
Blending Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Hyperrealism, LUAP is an artist who embraces uncertainty – often weathering extreme conditions to create his bold, captivating work. "Navigating the emptiness of the shadows, The Pink Bear carries flowers as a beacon of life, undeterred by life's adversities, steadfastly walking forward finding light."
Dubbed the ‘Urban Expressionist’, Alo (Aristide Loria) brings Fine Art into an urban context. Intricate and detailed, his work can be found in London, New York, Paris and Berlin. "Eveline represents the idea of universal and unconditional love through motherhood. The detailed technique is typical of ALO’s work, in this particular case it’s used for an imagery connected to African women. The motherhood theme is also inspired by Giotto’s and Michelangelo’s madonnas."
Occupying a space between street art, graffiti, graphic design, pop culture and modernism, each brush stroke and mark of Ben’s work is an unselfconscious reflection of his mood and energy. "In the canvas of existence, love is the graffiti that transcends cultures, a sacred art drawn by gods and goddesses, intertwining threads of deity’s whispers, creating a masterpiece of mindfulness in the tapestry of our shared human experience. In the vibrant mosaic of modern culture, my creation reimagines deities arising from urban street environments, to bring us messages of mindful transformation, blending the ancient with the contemporary."
Driven by a fascination with light and shadow, East London artist David Speed’s work is centred on themes of identity and connection – and uses bold fluorescent colours to dramatically captivate viewers. "I once heard an interview with world-renowned artist David Choe. He said that when he paints in the streets he uses black paint because it's hard and aggressive. This is one of the reasons why I use neon pink in my work. It is so bright and full of light. Street art carries with it the voice of rebellion, but there is no reason that we cannot fight with love and kindness. The theme of love flows through many of my pieces. With this work, I was trying to capture tenderness, connection and emotion. We show this with our faces, but I wanted to see if it was possible to convey love, only through delicately touching hands."
Inspired by the idea that love can transcend the chaos of everyday life, Olly's vibrant work is a reminder of our shared humanity, and the importance of connection. "I use a lot of elements in my work which can seem chaotic but there’s a beauty that emerges from this. I try to create a feeling of escapism for the viewer and challenge perception, the headdresses that cover the eyes of the models represent the complexity of the mind. Love is such a strong human emotion and I wanted my piece to show how this feeling can transcend the chaos and disorder of the world around us."
Known for his bold works featuring iconic cartoon characters, Opake’s style – described as ‘the disintegration of pop culture’ – channels his experiences with addiction into something truly unique. "My Nan was as British as they come. As a young, wild kid she drilled manners into me and pushed me towards creativity and fine art. She dragged me kicking and screaming through numerous museums which, at the time, I saw no relevance to. After these disastrous trips we would go to Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea. She saw this shop as a bastion of London with pure magic stacked on its shelves. Sadly she passed away last year, having suffered with Alzheimer’s and shortly after I was asked to be a part of something so much bigger than me, that meant so much to someone I loved dearly…the Universe moves in mysterious ways."