Ben Eine


Benjamin Flynn, known professionally as Eine, is an English artist based in London. He is considered widely as a controversial character in the street art community.

Career

Eine became prominent for his alphabet lettering on shop shutters. To make them easier to locate, some of these letters have been mapped. He has also taken his lettering to the streets of Paris, Stockholm, Hastings and Newcastle upon Tyne.
In a workshop above the Dragon Bar on Leonard Street in London, Eine began exploring cheaper routes. Eine started experimenting with screen printing and produced a number of unique apparel designs, most notably some "VANDALS" sweatshirts. He later established the cult screen print company Pictures On Walls with Banksy. Eine developed a significant amount of hand-pulled prints for POW artists, including Jamie Hewlett, Mode2, Modern Toss and David Shrigley. He was able to enhance other artists' work precisely due to his natural talent for combining colors. In 2008, he quit his job to concentrate on his own independent career.
Eine's neon and black EINE stickers became prevalent in East London, and he also contributed to sticker graffiti.
Eine first came to prominence in the "commercial" graffiti scene through his symbiotic partnership with the London graffiti artist Banksy; through Eine, Banksy was able to join the underground lifestyle and approach the business world from Banksy Eine.
He developed a variety of lettering styles to use for commercial work, including Shutter, NewCircus, Neon, Elton, Vandalism, Tenderloin and Wendy.
In 2007, residents of Tower Hamlets were surveyed via the Tower Hamlets Partnership Brick Lane to ask whether they believed his graffiti was disrespectful and whether removal is appropriate. As a result, graffiti was deemed an act of vandalism according to the council. Since then, the council has modified its graffiti laws with the objective of maintaining popular, non-offensive street art simply because it attracts tourists..
Ben Eine painted the entire alphabet onto Middlesex Street in East London in May 2010. His selection of colors and text on both shutters and murals can be observed in London's Shoreditch, Brick Lane and Broadway Market areas. The residents renamed Middlesex Street as Alphabet Street, and was defined by The Times as "a street now internationally recognized as a living piece of art with direct links to The White House".
In July 2010, President Barack Obama was presented with a painting by Eine, Twenty First Century City, as an official gift from the British prime minister, David Cameron. Eine had become so surprised that he later produced "The Strangest Week", an artwork featuring large letters constructed from "smileys" along Hackney Road.
In March of 2011, Eine's independent show at San Francisco's White Walls gallery sold out before it opened. Additionally, he attended MOCA's "Art in the Streets" show, regarded as the largest street art display yet, conducted in April of 2011 in Los Angeles.
Eine's creations were displayed at Art Below's The Peace Project. His graffiti typography was showcased there. One of his designs that simply used the word love titled "Circus Love" was displayed at Regent's Park. This was previously displayed on a wall of Art Below's July 2012 show at Oxford Circus tube station on the Central Line. Eine joined an increasing group of street artists who have exhibited with Art Below such as Banksy, Inkie, Mike Ballard and Goldie.
In 2012, the typographer Chank Diesel released Tenderloin, a free font developed in collaboration with Eine.
In 2013, Edition House and Gallery Nelly Duff released "Tenderloin A-Z", a 52-colour silkscreen based on the Tenderloin font.
In 2015, Eine created a mural which spells the word "Diversity" at University High School in Irvine, CA.
In 2020, Ben Eine designed a pod for the London Eye's 20th anniversary
In January 2020, Central Saint Martins college named a class room after Ben Eine.

Domestic violence

Assault conviction

There has been controversy throughout Eine's career. He received a community sentence in 2018 which included unpaid labour for abusing his girlfriend. Additionally, he had to spend £85 in prosecution expenses and a victim surcharge, and was subject to a restraining order. The conviction provoked negative reactions; for example, a 2020 Camden New Journal report noted a women's charity's concern over Eine being given a public art platform in West Hampstead, given his conviction, with the artist himself describing the assault as "one mistake".

Retaliation against Brighton artists

In March 2025, artists SNUB23 and Sprite voiced concerns publicly regarding Eine's participation in street art gatherings as an aftermath of his conviction for assault. In reaction, Eine vandalized numerous murals by Snub and Sprite. Afterwards, Eine apologized for his actions.

Politics

Eine has publicly expressed his respect for David Cameron and has a Vote Conservative tattoo.

Charitable work

Throughout Eine's career he has made numerous charitable contributions, including donations to Shelter and War Child via sales from Christie's auction house.
Eine worked with the Movember Foundation as well as Sotheby's Charity Auction to promote mental wellness recognition and support, who began to sell ten vivid new pieces produced by renowned street artists globally. Spearheaded by the artist D*Face, the initiative included original pieces from Felipe Pantone, Shepard Fairey, Jonathan Yeo, Invader, Okuda, Alexis Diaz, Conor Harrington and Vhils. Collectively, "each artist created an agenda-setting piece motivated by, and aimed at nurturing, open conversations surrounding men's mental health and suicide prevention".
Eine has used graffiti designs to promote an end of knife crime and violence, including "Peace Is Possible" and "Stop Knife Crime".
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In addition, he has produced artwork that promote human rights, including his "Brave" piece, and has chosen to participate in exhibitions, like MACAM's Wall of Contemplation, which commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Eine has promoted the development and empowerment of younger individuals, by involvement in programs such as Youth Unity Day, to encourage optimism and deter youth from violence.
In 2011, Eine was invited by Amnesty International to produce the poster celebrating its 50th anniversary, joining other artists such as Picasso and Joan Miró in supporting the charity through art.

Other endeavours

In January 2018, Eine launched the first collection for his clothing company EINE London, at London Fashion Week: Men's.
In August 2019, Eine launched his creative studio OurTypes. In honor of the debut of OurTypes, he painted each letter of the alphabet on shutters in East London. OurTypes is a multidisciplinary creative studio concentrated on words. It collaborates with other artists on font releases and global brands on commercial projects. In August 2019, OurTypes launched Eine's most notorious typeface, New Circus font, for personal use.

Eine in popular culture

In January 2008, Eine was featured in an article in London's Time Out magazine as one of the six best new street artists working in the capital.
There is a chapter on Eine in Street Renegades: New Underground Art by Francesca Gavin and he is also featured in The Art Of Rebellion 2: World Of Urban Art Activism by Christian Hundertmark, and he was featured in Sebastian Peiter's documentary Guerilla Art.
Eine's lettering is often used in magazines and promotional material. His work was used prominently by the pop group Alphabeat and in Duffy's music video for "Stepping Stone" and also, briefly, in Snow Patrol's video for "Take Back the City".

Exhibitions

Solo shows

2018: "Everything Starts Somewhere", Bruton Art Factory, Bruton
2018: "Everything Starts Somewhere", Stolen Space Gallery, London
2017: "Home Sweet Homeless", Jealous Gallery, London
2017: "STREET ART", Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert
2015: "Your Not My Type", StolenSpace Gallery, London
2014: "HEARTFELT", Judith Charles Gallery, New York
2013: "INNOCENCE", Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
2013: "OUCH", Project One Gallery, San Francisco
2011: "Love/Hate", Megumi Ogita Gallery, Tokyo
2011: "GREATEST", White Walls, San Francisco
2009: "EINE World Record Attempt Show", Nelly Duff, London
2009: "The A-Z of Change", Carmichael Gallery, Los Angeles
2008: "When The Lights Go Out" – Andenken Gallery, Denver,
2007: Vandalism – Kemistry Gallery, London,
2007: Portobello Film Festival – Westbourne Studios, London,

Group shows

2022: "Ben Eine and Friends", Kolly Gallery, Zurich
2019: "Wall Of Contemplation", MACAM, Byblos
2019: "20 Years Smiling With Friends", Stolen Space Gallery, London
2019: "Random Acts of Kindness", Semi Skimmed Gallery, London
2019: "XYZ", GoGallery, Amsterdam
2019: "Lucky 13 Anniversary Show Pt. 1: Fine Art of Street & Graffiti", Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
2018: "ALL CAPS", LCD Gallery, Houston
2018: "Crossover", Galerie Kronsbein, Munich
2018: "For All Mankind", Attollo Art, London
2018: "Emerging to Established", Krause Gallery, New York
2018: "Transcript", Charlie Smith London, London
2018: "Opening", Urban Nation Museum, Berlin
2017: "In Memoriam Francesca Lowe", Charlie Smith London, London
2016: "Urban Art Preview", Galerie Kronsbein, Munich
2016: "Uplift", Black Book Gallery, Englewood
2015: "MUCA COLLECTION", MUCA, Munich
2014: "Spectrum", StolenSpace Gallery, London
2014: "Amazing Summer", MUCA, Munich
2014: "M/5", Urban Nation Museum, Berlin
2013: "The Wooster Collective 10th Anniversary Show", Jonathan LeVine Gallery, Jersey City
2012: "Winter Group Show", White Walls Gallery, San Francisco
2012: "Love & Hate", Stolen Space Gallery, London
2012: "Street Art: from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Libya", Dar Al Fagi Hassan Art Gallery, Tripoli
2011: "Unfair: Part 1", Whisper Gallery, London
2011: "MTV: RE:DEFINE", Goss-Michael Foundation, Dallas
2011: "Art in the Streets", Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
2011: "Gossip Well Told", Moniker, London
2011: "Zero-Sixty" Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
2011: "Street Art – Meanwhile in deepest East Anglia, thunderbirds were go", Von Der Heydt Museum, Wuppertal
2011: "The Beer Mat Show", Cedar Lewisohn, London
2010: "Faces", Electric Blue Gallery, London
2009: "Corked", Cork Street Gallery, London
2008: "4 Geezers", Ad Hoc Art, New York
2008: "Urban Art" Weserburg Museum of Modern Art, Bremen
2008: "Make Over", Stella Dore Gallery, London,
2008: "Cans Festival", Leake Street, London,
2008: "Stella Dore" Sebastian Guinness Gallery, Dublin
2007: "Santa's Ghetto", Bethlehem
2007: "For Life, Not Just For Christmas" Open Studio Spaces, London
2007: "Urban Sprawl", Leonard Street Gallery, London
2007: "Eleven", Leonard Street Gallery, London
2006: "Santa's Ghetto", Oxford Street, London
2006: "UK Jack OK", Colette, Paris
2005: "Santa's Ghetto", Oxford Street, London
2005: "POW Group Show", Allmänna Galleriet, Stockholm
2004: "Santa's Ghetto", Oxford Street, London
2003: "Banksy vs Eine", Gallery V1, Copenhagen
2002: "We Like Printing", Alife, New York
2002: "We Like Printing", Artomatic, London