Mr. Sly

British mixed-media artist Mr. Sly creates bold graphic images offering a contemporary slant on 20th Century popular culture.

Describing himself as an Urban Pop Artist, he is inspired by music, pop songs in particular, and every artwork is directly related to a song, an artist, or both. This relationship is highlighted by the quotations and lyrics he uses within the composition; his narrative voice is strong and his aim is always to tell a story based around those lyrics. Taking iconic figures from the past and placing them front and centre makes him feel, he says, “as if they are living in a new age.”

Keen to experiment and explore a diverse range of materials, Mr. Sly may be spray painting on a skateboard, building a collage or pasting on brickwork, but the result is always thought-provoking and stylish. Having studied Art and Design, Graphic Design and Photo Restoration, he introduces some interesting hidden processes into each composition, restoring and manipulating old photographs, and blending graphic and more traditionally artistic elements to create a homogeneous whole. Each piece has a high gloss finish, sometimes with a touch of sparkle to highlight the glamour of his subjects.

Born in Liverpool Mr. Sly went on to travel widely. This gave him a love of urban and street art from all over the world which informed his own creative path as well as broadening his cultural horizons. His first foray into the art world was inspired by 1980s band Frankie Goes to Hollywood and their iconic t-shirts from their hit song Relax. As he became more interested in art for its own sake, he discovered Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali who became hugely influential on his evolution as a young artist.

20 years later his work is featured in galleries across the UK, Europe and the US, and recent clients include Chelsea Football Club, L’Oreal and Redken. He has been featured widely in the media and made an impact on the celebrity circuit with Paris Hilton, David Haye and Adee Phelan amongst his collectors.