British street artist and painter Dale Grimshaw is known for his powerful works full of strong emotions. Working in different mediums, such as acrylic, oils, spray paint, and woodcut prints, he established himself as one of the most respected artists on the London art scene. His direct and passionate style has quickly gained him international recognition, which led to numerous invitations to art festivals all across the UK. The artist has, over the years, contributed to various charitable events, the result of which was his appearance in the TV show Extraordinary Portraits on BBC 1 in 2022. Grimshaw has exhibited in several international group shows in the USA, Paris, and Berlin. Today through his work, he is supporting the Free West Papua Campaign, which is fighting for freedom from the illegal occupation by Indonesia.
Dale Grimshaw was born in Lancashire in 1971. Interested in art as a child, he began painting at 12 with pastels. Fascinated with graffiti, the artist started drawing on virtually every available surface, walls, bus seats, and textbook covers, always signing with his very first tag Grimmy. During his college days at the Blackburn College of Art, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, he exclusively painted with oil. However, after some time, he found the acrylic paint suited his needs better for he prefers to work fast, utilizing strong gestural movements, splashes, and smears, and the oil’s longer drying would slow down his work. For his outdoor murals, the artist prefers spray paint. It is perfect for blocking quickly, and it dries fast.
In 2008 Grimshaw had his first solo show at Signal Gallery titled Echoes And Exorcisms, which was received positively by critics and art lovers, gaining him recognition in London’s urban art scene. Yet it wasn’t until he realized that it was ok to express darker feelings in his art that his career took off. One of the first pieces that fully showed the power of his artistic expression is Exorcism. Throughout his career, the artist has always tried to capture in his work what he calls “a psychological narrative.”
My work tends to operate the best and pack a powerful punch when it’s based on personal emotions - fear, alienation, frustration and anger...
Grimshaw does not make literal depictions but loose interpretations in his art. Yet he always pays careful attention to details, such as skin tone, wrinkles, and all the imperfections that make us human. In his work, the artist always tries to capture the “visceral fleshiness of the human form – the veins and muscle underneath the skin.” For the Free West Papua Campaign, he has created a series of paintings and murals on the streets of the UK. In 2020 he presented some of the works at the solo exhibition Assembly of the Gods at the Well Hung Gallery.
Dale Grimshaw lives and works in London.
Featured image: Photo of Dale Grimshaw. Copyright of the artist
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