Ben EINE
Ben Eine, aka EINE, was born in London, England, in 1970 and is one of London’s most prolific street artists, specializing in the central element of all graffiti – the form of letters. Originally a writer, EINE started his career over twenty five years ago leaving his first tag all over London before developing the distinct typographic style we know him for today.
Specializing in painting huge single letters on shop fronts, EINE's bright, colorful letters have transformed streets around the world, including LA, San Francisco, Mexico City, Miami, Paris, Dublin, Tokyo, Stockholm, Dubai, Berlin, and most famously ‘Alphabet Street’ – the shutters and murals he painted on Middlesex Street, London.
EINE shot to international fame when Prime Minister David Cameron presented one of his works to President Obama as a gift on their first official state visit, and his subsequent San Francisco solo show sold out prior to opening. Ben was also included in the biggest exhibition of street art to date “Art in the Streets” at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Los Angeles.
EINE is not just a master graffiti artist. He is also the man behind the printing of some of the most iconic works to come out of the famous Pictures on Walls studio. EINE’s screen printing skills produced some of street arts most sought after prints including Banksy, Faile and his own work.
In 2013 EINE found a new champion of his work in millionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson. Branson's airline Virgin Atlantic displayed 10 works by the artist in their upper-class clubhouses at London's Heathrow and New York’s JFK airport. The innovative move allowed passengers traveling between London and New York to view the works in a “virtual gallery” and acquire his paintings.
In 2014 Eine produced his largest and most ambitious work to date. The artist painted a monumental 400m long mural on the walls stretching the length of London’s Olympic Park. Titled ‘The Review’, EINE painted words describing the Olympic games and its legacy in his signature brightly colored circus font.
Vertical Gallery also hosted him in Chicago for his 3-person show at the gallery with Word to Mother and Sickboy in August 2015.