Stik

Stik is a British graffiti artist currently living in London. His work is mainly based on simple black and white stickmen on the side of buildings. Stik believes that there is more to his art than a simple stickmen, he states this in an interview: “They’re not just stickmen, they’re people. People became stickmen. They’re shorthand for emotions. They reflect how I feel. The curve of the back, how tucked in the chest is, if the arse is sticking out, whether they are knock-kneed. There’s a lot in the bend of a knee or the shrug of a shoulder.”

Ten years ago he would have never thought of being in the position that he is today. Stik was homeless and does not like to talk about it because it was a horrible experience that he does not want to live again. Art was his life saviour, it kept him focused and on the right track.

Stik has never taken education in art. He learned to do it from other street artist like Doze, Zomby, Run and Roa. He says this about working with other artists in an interview with Londonist: “It’s important to spend time with other street artists because there is a mutual understanding between them. They understand how it’s like to put their work out to the public”.

He started doing his large pieces in the streets of London, since then Stik has discovered himself as an artist and developed his style. He now paints murals all over the world, in places like Europe, Asia and America. He particularly loves the peaceful relaxed approach of street art in Berlin. Stik admires Thierry Noir’s work and takes it as inspiration to his own art.

In 2011 Stik had his own solo show in a gallery in London; his work got a lot of attention then. Some people compare him to Banksy and say that he could even be the next Banksy because of the simplicity and effectiveness of his work. Stik likes the effect of his art on people; he likes to think of his art as friendly because it can bring people together.

Stik is recently working with major organizations. These include Amnesty International, British Waterways, the Mutoid Waste Company, Queeruption and Reclaim the Streets. He also worked for NHS to create murals to make people aware of the effects of drugs. He used his own experience in the streets to create those pieces. Stik still paints unauthorised art because he likes to remember where he came from and how he got to where he is now. This is also one of the main reasons why he stays anonymous.

In my opinion I think that Stik has a really interesting story that he knows exactly how to show through art. His art is simple but so effective at the same time. I like the fact that his style is completely different from everybody else and also because he wasn’t afraid to put it out there at first. This is because criticism can be really harsh and aggressive sometimes. I think his art is more about the story behind it than the actual art itself. I really like Stik’s work and how he portrays life using simple stickmen.

Helpful websites: all visited on 04/10/2014.

http://londonist.com/2012/05/interview-street-artist-stik.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stik

http://stik.org/

http://imitatemodern.com/artists/stik/