Olly Walker’s involvement in the street art scene spans back to 2000, while based at the legendary Artomatic. Later, upstairs from POW, he started designing artists’ monographs for Outsiders Gallery and Lazarides Gallery. He has worked directly with some of the biggest and most recognizable stars of the movement. He is the founding director of OllyStudio, a London-based art meets ideas agency based on a strong curatorial history where art is the focus, which collaborates with artists, galleries and global brands to realise unique experiences.
Olly is the author of three books on street art – The Street Art Stencil Book, Stencil Republic and It’s A Stick Up and has cultivated a reputation for curating strong shows and artistic collaborations for a range of clients, whether on artists’ projects or brand platforms. He has been responsible for the curation of high profile gallery shows in London and Berlin and has curated at Saatchi Gallery, Urban Nation in Berlin, Future City and The Gallery at Foyles, as well as hosting many independent shows in London’s East End and working on a variety of
collaborations including brands and charities such as Help Refugees, Unilever, Mulberry, Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Converse, Orange, and with artists including JR, Vhils, Nick Walker, Miss Van, Jeff Aerosol, Paul Insect, Ben Turnbull, Mode 2, Todd James, Lucy McLauchlan and the late, great Alexander McQueen. He is also the founder of the Made Corrections street art-based rehabilitation program working with young offenders in Lithuania.
Olly is a frequently invited expert speaker on street art and urban creativity at galleries, museums, universities and in the media, with hosts including Art on the Streets at the ICA London; Urban Creativity in Lisbon, Talent for Europe (with Germaine Greer and Tim Harford); the Ideas College (with David Holloway OBE); Graffolution at UAL Central Saint Martins and Widewalls. His video direction has been recognised by MOCA LA with his work selected for the influential international street art and graffiti exhibition, Art in the Streets.
COLLABORATIONS
Landsec
Unilever
Katharine Hamnett
Help Refugees
Saatchi Gallery
Alexander McQueen
Urban Nation (Berlin)
Futurecity
Save The Children
Hanningtons Estate
Briitish Council
Levi’s Vintage Clothing
Mulberry
Made Corrections
Art On The Streets
The Subculture Archives
Keep A Breast Foundation
Converse
Cat Footwear
Orange Mobile
Pro-Keds
Virgin Mobile
Levi’s Blank Canvas
CURATED
2009
Guerilla Art, group show – Pure Evil Gallery, Shoreditch
Thick and Thin, group show – Mother Gallery, Shoredicth
2012
Bomber Jackets, group show – Upstairs at the Griffin, Shoreditch
2013
It’s a Stick-Up, Special Editions – Signal Gallery, Shoredicth
Chris Moon, A splendid Isolation – Forge & Co, Shoreditch
2014
Made Corrections, group art action – Kaunus Correctional Facility, Lithuania
Alo, Hail To The Loser – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Alaric Hammond, From Cheek to Blushing Cheek – Forge & Co, Shoreditch
Cut It Out! Strictly Stencil, group show – Urban Nation, Berlin
2015
Pop The Streets, A Celebration Of Contemporary Art In Urban Culture – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Alexander McQueen, An intimate portrait of his seminal show ‘Dante’ – The Gallery at Foyles, Soho
Alaric Hammond, Caustic Windows – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Made Corrections, Art as Opportunity, group show – Downstairs at Mother, Shoreditch
2016
XX: A Moment in Time, group show with Urban Nation – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Hong Kong Connections – The Bridge House Project , Shoreditch
Convergence, group show – The Bridge House Project , Shoreditch
Queen’s Birthday, street art actions – Box Park, Shoreditch
2017
Ben Turnbull, No Guts, No Glory – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Altered States, group show – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Unga X Pakal, Shmiriacles – WA Green, Shoreditch
2018
Noki, Dr Who Is Noki – Subculture Archives, Soho
Pakal, The Missing Museum – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Soft Republic – Various sites, London, Istanbul, Helsinki, Brighton
Cash Is King – The Art of Defaced Banknotes – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
2019
Guerilla Art, 10th Aniversary – the British Museum
BLK-BX x Ollystudio – Trinity Centre, Leed
SR X – It’s The Surreal Thing ! – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Alice Mural, Eelus – Hanningtons, Brighton
Alchemy, group show – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Cash Is King 2, Money Talks – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Aida Wilde, Help Rufugees – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea
Katharine Hamnett x Noki, Perishing collection – Ace Hotel, Shoreditch
Ongoing
The Bridge House Project, Mural project – Feb 2016 to present, Shoreditch
Consultancy with Saatchi Gallery – identifying new talent