Lee Pennington’s art career began in the north of England in the late 80’s. At around 10 years old he peddled a small edition of hand-drawn Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles posters to his friends in the school playground for 10p each. The sale was a marginal success, allowing him to buy an extra chocolate bar or two on his way home.

The early 00’s and a move to London opens Lee’s eyes to the emerging world of street art. He begins to experiment with his own stencil based works, painting under the moniker of Eelus. It’s after Banksy encounters the work on the streets of the East End that everything changes for Lee, and after a 17 year hiatus he releases his second edition through the legendary print studio Pictures on Walls.

The image — a young girl taking a Star Wars At-At for a walk — sells out in record time, securing Eelus’s place as a favourite amongst collectors. The image itself becomes iconic, helping define the early days of a rising art movement.

After repeat success with more sell-out editions, Eelus receives another invite from Banksy, this time to paint at his now infamous ‘Cans Festival – A Street Party of Stencil Art’ in Waterloo, London. His mural and stencils becoming a highlight for many of the thousands of people who visited the landmark outdoor exhibition.

Eelus has since painted and exhibited worldwide alongside key figures within the movement. The desirability of his work evident in the success of his solo exhibitions and sell-out print editions.

Combining seemingly disparate elements from a wide range of found imagery, Eelus’s strange and colourful visual language is an insight into his neurodivergent thinking. His studio practice becoming a form of therapy as he searches for a sense of balance through his use of colour and composition that he applies to prints, paintings, murals and 3D work.

Eelus

British

Main

Artist

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Cheeky Cherub