Juan Sly entered his first art competition aged nine with a subtle study of an arrangement of Lupins. He won third prize. He should have won first prize but the entry was so good it was obvious, to the judges, that he had had parental help: which was ironic, because he was an orphan, and nobody gave a shit.
Juan Sly had a tough upbringing on the tough side of Tough Town. He had to fight for everything he didn't have. After boxing he did art; after football he did physics; after dark he did many things like opening locked doors especially ones on safes; but he only stole off those who deserved it. He was well known to the police but never convicted and had proved useful to them on several occasions. But then a new life in the light beckoned. It seemed as if a guiding hand was at work for him, one that could open doors even better than he could. He got a precious place at university studying physics and then on to a prestigious research position at Cern. He had everything, now, but a past.
His idea: “I’m Juan Sly, urban artist producing art for your home for the price of a poster, just for you. Spray stencil paintings are the thing - and not done on canvas, that's just too trite. Urban art ain't right unless it's sprayed on something it shouldn't. As It's difficult to get a street corner in your house these paintings are mainly sprayed onto the pages of the Daily Telegraph that have been "borrowed" from the pub. If you're lucky you might even get a half finished crossword!
It is likely that Juan Sly has become the biggest seller of original artworks in the UK. He has exhibited at the Saatchi (a proper gallery with pillars and everything!) alongside the likes of Banksy, Terry O'Neil, Tracy Emin and Vic Reeves and now has a permanent collections in Germany, Detroit and the Uk, alongside Damien Hirst and some other artists you might of heard of plus private collections around the globe.
His works rock from humour to anti-war, sex to surreal. Particularly fond of the stencil medium as it allows him to quickly respond to events and ideas and gives the work that gritty illegal look. The stencils naturally allow the works to be resprayed and so become affordable and disposable. He likes the fact that people can buy art that they like and not to show off how much they can afford. You can find them in bedsits, legal offices in the Temple or stuck to a fence in Bristol.
© 2024. All content on this blog is protected by international copyright laws All images are copyrighted © by Juan Sly or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only
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| YoYo Hitler |
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| Street Fairy |
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| Bollard Bombas |
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Hey Guys!
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| Trash the Planet |
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Barbed Wire Stockings
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| Make my day! |
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| The Absence of Bullets |
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| Plagiarism |
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| Shit on BP |
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| Caution |
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| Bigger Tits and Calories |
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| =After college results, important career decisions need |
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| Batgay |
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| What! Zebra |
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| Star Whores |
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| Art Police |
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| Barbs and Stripes |
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| Dogfight dove |
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| Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº.12 |
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| Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº.13 |
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| Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº. 7 |
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| Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº. 3 |
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Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº. 4
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Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº. 6
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| Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº. 10 |
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| Other people's paintings only much cheaper Nº. 14 |
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| R2D2P |
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| Scream in the Machine |
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| Spliff King |
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| TO$$ER$ (on The Daily Telegraph) |
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YES! (Blue)
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| Zelenskyy |
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