Ben Eine

Ben Eine is most notable for his alphabet lettering and phrases on anything and everything across the world.

Prior to becoming involved in commercial graffiti, Eine was a very famous and highly credible writer in the underground London graffiti scene. His unusual ‘throw up’ was created to stand out from the usual tags and dubs seen on the streets and can still be found in some dingy areas of East London.

Inspired by the work of fashion assassin Noki, Eine first started to explore more commercial avenues in a workshop above the Dragon Bar in Lenoard Street, London (now knocked down). Eine produced a number of custom clothing designs notably some custom “VANDALS” sweatshirts and started to explore screen prints eventually working as a screen printer for cult screen print company Pictures On Walls. Eine produced many of the hand pulled prints for artists represented by POW including Banksy, Jamie Hewlett, Mode2, Modern Toss and David Shrigley. His natural talent for colour combinations meant that he was able to enhance the work supplied by the artists. He left this position to pursue his own solo career in 2008.

Eine first came to prominence in the “commercial” graffiti scene through his symbiotic partnership with London graffiti artist Banksy; through Eine, Banksy was able to access the underground scene and through Banksy Eine accessed the commercial world.

In his commercial work he has produced numerous lettering styles including: shutter, circus, neon, elton, vandalism and wendy.

In July 2010, President Barack Obama was presented with a painting by Eine, Twenty First Century City, as an official gift from the British Prime Minister. David Cameron.

In May 2010 Ben Eine painted a complete alphabet on Middlesex Street in East London, which was re-christened Alphabet Street by the residents and described by The Times as “a street now internationally recognized as a living piece of art with direct links to The White House.”
United Kingdom – b.1970