London street artists: Murals, graffiti, and the city’s rawest public art

When you walk through London’s backstreets, you’re not just seeing brick and concrete—you’re seeing the work of London street artists, creative individuals who transform public spaces into open-air galleries using spray paint, stencils, and bold imagination. Also known as urban artists, they don’t wait for permission. They claim space, tell stories, and challenge what art belongs where. This isn’t vandalism. It’s a living archive of identity, protest, joy, and memory—visible to everyone, free to experience, and constantly changing.

These artists don’t work in isolation. They’re part of a network tied to public art London, large-scale, community-driven projects often commissioned by councils or local collectives to reflect neighborhood culture. You’ll see this in the London murals, colorful, detailed paintings on building facades that often depict local history, migration, or social issues. Think of the giant portraits in Brixton honoring Windrush pioneers, or the surreal animals painted in Hackney that turn alleyways into fantasy scenes. These aren’t random tags—they’re intentional, often researched, and deeply connected to the people who live nearby.

And then there’s the raw edge: the street art London, spontaneous, sometimes anonymous work that pops up overnight—tags, wheatpastes, and quick stencils that capture the city’s pulse. It’s where names like Banksy started, and where unknown artists still test their voice. Some pieces last weeks. Others get painted over in days. That impermanence is part of the power. It’s art that doesn’t ask to be kept—it asks to be seen, felt, and remembered.

What makes London’s scene different? It’s the mix. You’ve got trained illustrators working with community groups in Peckham. You’ve got former graffiti kids now running studios in Shoreditch. You’ve got international artists invited for festivals like the London Mural Festival, and locals who’ve been tagging the same wall for a decade. It’s not one style. It’s dozens—figurative, abstract, political, playful. And it’s all tied to the city’s rhythm: the rush of commuters, the quiet of early mornings, the buzz of weekend crowds.

You don’t need a ticket to see it. You don’t need a guidebook. Just walk. Look up. Look down. Look around corners. The best pieces aren’t always the biggest—they’re the ones that make you stop, think, or smile. And when you do, you’re not just looking at art. You’re reading the city’s unfiltered voice.

Below, you’ll find stories from the people who make this art, the neighborhoods where it thrives, and the events that bring it to life. From hidden alleyways to festival-scale installations, this collection shows you what’s really happening on London’s walls—not what’s sold in galleries.