Stik

British street artist Stik began painting his signature stick figures on the streets of east London in the early 2000s. The spare designs, which the artist partially based on Japanese kanji, appeared in doorways and on sides of buildings while the artist was living in homeless shelters and social housing. In the years since, Stik’s artmaking has expanded beyond his native London streets and into gallery spaces across the city. Works from his studio practice—which includes painting, sculpture, and editioned prints—have fetched six-figure prices on the secondary market. Though his signature iconography is minimalist in execution, Stik maintains a commitment to social justice both inside and outside his studio. His 2014 mural Little Big Mother calls attention to the need for social housing, while proceeds from an auction for Holding Hands (Maquette) (2020) helped fund an outdoor sculpture program in Hackney.