5 Year Print Market Review 2023

Stik

Hackney-based street artist STIK has become prolific amongst activists and art-lovers alike through his internationally-recognised motif of the evolved stick man. If you’re looking for original STIK prints and editions for sale or would like to sell, request a complimentary valuation and browse our network’s most in-demand works.

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Biography

Hackney-based graffiti artist STIK is known for his iconic, six-line two-dot stick figures. Stik's works have been found in public spaces all around the globe and are instantly recognisable.

Little is known about Stik's biography. Without any formal training at art school, Stik began drawing stick figures as a young child and has never since veered from a strikingly simplistic style. Stik's androgynous figures first appeared on the streets of Hackney Wick in London in the early 2000s, later spreading to Shoreditch and then west towards the rest of London. Discussing his unconventional training in the urban streets of London, Stik claims, “that became an education in itself. I learned from my contemporaries.”

Still experimenting with his style and materials, Stik's first solo show took place in the NO: ID Gallery, a squatted art space in Shoreditch. His now-famous murals were then rendered in black and white out of necessity rather than stylistic preference. For these very early murals, all Stik required was a can of black spray paint from Pound Shop and some white household paint. The artist explains, “I was pretty broke and painted on found materials, pulling things out of rubbish bins.”

Stik’s career was defined in 2008, when he exhibited his works at the famous music and art space, The Foundry in East London. His incredible rise to success is emphasised by a comment he made on his relationship to the venue, explaining: “That was a very important venue to me because I used to clean the toilets there.”

In 2014, Stik painted what is now his most famous work, Big Mother, a mural that was located on the side of Charles Hocking House in Action in West London, before its demolition in 2018. At 125ft, this prominent Stik work was the tallest mural in Britain, and displayed a poignant image of two iconic Stik figures, a mother carrying her child, against a bright yellow background. Astonishingly, Stik painted this enormous mural by hand by using an airless compressor to apply the paint to the concrete. Stik has spoken of the way that this important project aimed to address issues at the heart of displaced communities: “The mother is looking out to the horizon, wondering whether she’ll go once the building is demolished, while the child’s eyes are fixed on the luxury apartments being built opposite this social housing block. Obviously, the child is not going to be living in those apartments – the final destination is unknown. But I also wanted to convey some sort of hope. I think that hope is probably one of the most melancholy of emotions. I tried to convey that in this piece more than most.”

Today, Stik has a coffee table book that outlines his artistic career and has been commissioned by high calibre organisations like the Q Music Awards and The British Council.

Holding Hands (Maquette) by Stik

Holding Hands (maquette) © Stik 2020

1. £287,499 for Stik's Holding Hands (Maquette)

In September 2020, Stik's bronze sculpture Holding Hands was revealed in Hoxton Square, part of London's Hackney Borough. The artist generously donated his working model, Holding Hands (Maquette) (2020), to support the council's public sculpture program. Surpassing expectations, the maquette sold for £287,500 at Christie's Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale in London in October 2020, more than doubling its high estimate and becoming the artists's auction record. Stik's strong connection with Hackney, where he has lived, created street art, and collaborated with local authorities, has led to over £250,000 in charitable contributions to the borough. His deep attachment to Hackney is evident in his artistic and community involvement over nearly two decades.

Children of Fire by Stik

Image © Bonham's / Children of Fire © Stik 2011

2. £246,000 for Stik's Children of Fire

Continuing his social initiatives, STIK's Children of Fire (2011) reflects the artist's engagement with the socio-political landscape. This piece features his signature stylised characters sprayed onto the garage door of Pogo Café, a vegan café and anarchist information centre. It was created in response to the 2011 London Riots, which Stik documented and participated in. Two years later, Pogo Café sold the artwork to raise funds for social causes combatting racial and class discrimination, in accordance with Stik's guidelines for the sale of his street artworks. In a rare auction appearance on June 30, 2022, Children of Fire achieved an impressive £246,000, becoming the second most expensive Stik artwork ever sold.

5 Works: Liberty by Stik

5 Works: Liberty © Stik 2013

3. £200,000 for Stik's Liberty

Stik's artistic approach is summed up in his statement, “Six lines and two dots was the quickest way to draw a human figure without getting caught.’’ His art draws from his personal experiences with homelessness, and creating street art served as a means of preserving and sharing his work, instilling hope in the community. Liberty, a simplified rendition of the Statue of Liberty, originated as street art in New York City in 2013. It was also produced as a limited-edition series of screenprints in five colours in the same year. At a Christie's London in September 2019, a deluxe set of Liberty prints achieved an auction record, selling for £200,000.

Big Mother by Stik

Big Mother © Stik 2014