Where to find brilliant street art in London

London is a street art paradise. On a random walk you’re likely to come across some phenomenal pieces by local and international artists.

Street art is such a big thing in London right now.

Everybody’s heard of Banksy, who’s been making street art in London for over a decade now, with his witty political statements. But there are many other street artists active all over London.

Walking around the city I’ve found some magnificent murals. While you know they may disappear within a week, some really leave their mark.

The scene is thriving and overflowing with creativity, despite the risk of seriously high penalties for illegal street art .

Some works are commissioned of course, and some are made with permission. That’s a good sign that the city and the locals are learning to appreciate street art.

London street art guided tours

There are plenty of street art tours in London, especially in Shoreditch. It’s become a bucket-list item for many tourists. Some also include a workshop.

A guided tour is the best way to see hidden gems that only locals know about. It’s also great for learning about the stories behind the pieces, anecdotes about the artists, and how the street art scene is evolving.

Because the street art in London changes constantly, I take a street art tour every time I visit and see different art each time.

The Free East End Street Art Tour is a great introduction to Shoreditch, especially Brick Lane.

If you’re really passionate about street art, you can also choose a more unique street art experience with a street art tour and workshop.

The tour covers the East End and the workshop is an opportunity to try free hand spray-painting with a tutor.

Brick Lane

The Brick Lane area in East London is particularly well known for attracting creative artists.

Take a walk around, explore all the side streets, and you’ll find yourself in a huge, ever-changing street exhibition. The colourful murals are especially eye-catching.

Read more about why you should visit Brick Lane!

The Crane is a piece by ROA, a street artist from Belgium who is known for his black and white animals.

The work next to it is an upside down, shirtless member of the Queen’s Guard.

This is a beautiful piece in Brick Lane by Chilean street art duo Un Kolor Distinto Crew.

Another eye popping one off Brick Lane, by Stink:

More cool art I found around Brick Lane and its side streets:

Drip art by Jimmy C

Another gorgeous piece off Brick Lane depicts a father holding his daughter.

It’s painted in the drip art technique – the entire painting is made out of spots of spray paint. Like the street version of pointillism.

It’s the work of Australian artist James Cochran (aka Jimmy C), who also made this young Shakespeare portrait that welcomes you near Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in South Bank  :

One of the most famous pieces by Jimmy C, again in the drip painting technique, is the portrait of David Bowie in Brixton.

It’s become a shrine for his fans after his death and is now covered by a piece of clear perspex to protect it.

See more great work from Jimmy C on his Instagram.

Portraits of black women by Dreph

I’ve saved the best for last. This is hands down my favoutire series of works around London right now.

Dreph is a London-based, British-Ghanaian artist who makes portraits of black women. These are big, vivid and colourful murals.

The idea behind this project is to give visibility to these women, all of them women Dreph knows in real life who are doing extraordinary things in their community. Nobody else is telling their story, so he decided to do that.

As it’s street art, some of these gorgeous portraits have been painted over by other street artists, but luckily they’re all documented online – check out the art on Dreph’s Instagram.

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