Slawn and his spray paints are taking over the world. His cartoonish scrawl has covered cars, expensive watches, planes and even the FA Cup. Appropriation has a double meaning in Slawn’s work. On one level, he’s staking a claim to these luxury objects. By using these objects instead of a canvas, he inscribes his own meaning on them. More controversial is his ‘appropriation’ of racist caricatures. His black characters feature exaggerated red lips, and are often depicted naked or in voyeuristic situations – all borrowed from minstrelsy. The work titles are also just as provocative e.g. The Irony...
Bio
Slawn was born in Lagos in 2000. He now lives and works in London.
Community
Slawn opened BeauBeau’s Cafe in East London with his partner Tallula Christie as a space for his community to gather. They host regular book clubs, art workshops and events.
Collectors
Slawn’s collectors don’t all shop in galleries and auction houses. With demand for his paintings on the rise, Slawn began hosting fight clubs in his studio. The winner walked away with an original work.