Born in London, Ben Eine is one of the most successful street artists in the world and is regarded as a pioneer in the exploration of graffiti letter forms. Originally a graffiti writer, Eine started his career over 30 years ago, leaving his first tag all over London before developing his distinct typographic style. Eine now operates from the belief that street art is distinct from graffiti, saying “street artists want to add something to the environment.

They consider the audience, whereas graffiti writers don’t care about anyone except themselves, they do it purely for the kick”. Eine began painting huge, bright and colorful letters on shutters all over East London, creating beautiful forms executed with a relentless “graffiti mentality” – painting over sixty shutters in a couple of months.

These imposing and engaging, yet unattributed, anonymously-painted letters stood out from the usual tags and dubs seen on the streets. They caught the public’s attention and were seminal in the rise of street art’s popularity.