All posts tagged: BSMT Gallery

Cranio: “MONEY” in London’s BSMT

Cranio: “MONEY” in London’s BSMT

August 5, 2025

In his new solo exhibition, MONEY, at London’s BSMT Gallery, Brazilian artist Cranio uses his signature wit – sharpened like a ceremonial blade. Known for his blue-skinned Indigenous protagonist who wanders through this contemporary chaos, Cranio has built a practice over the last two decades that disarms – and provokes.

This time, he’s aiming squarely at the culture of consumerism — and some of the spiritual compromises that come with it. Curated by the gallery team and grounded in satire, MONEY is more critique: it’s a mirror held up to a society sadly tangled in symbols of wealth. He’s also attempting to put a spiritual, intellectual price tag on the price we pay for our enslavement.

Having seen Cranio’s work rise from the walls of São Paulo’s east side to global prominence, it’s clear that his characters are not just visual signatures — they are autobiographical echoes and social barometers. Born Fabio de Oliveira Parnaíba in 1982, Cranio began painting in 1998 as part of the Hip Hop and graffiti culture that shaped a generation of Brazilian artists.

CRANIO (photo courtesy of the BSMT)

His Indigenous figure is no twee caricature; it’s part avatar, part ancestor — navigating globalized landscapes that are layered with complexities of identity, displacement, and resistance. Not heavy on preaching, he presents the conundrum wrapped in its absurdity.

In MONEY, the blue characters wear gold chains, clutch designer bags, and participate in almost religious consumer rituals — not as villains, but as tragicomic stand-ins for all of us. They speak to the slow corrosion of values in a world where meaning is increasingly manufactured.

CRANIO (photo courtesy of the BSMT)
CRANIO (photo courtesy of the BSMT)
CRANIO (photo courtesy of the BSMT)
CRANIO (photo courtesy of the BSMT)

Join BSMT Gallery for the opening night of ‘MONEY’ on August 7th, 2025, from 6-9 pm. The show runs from August 8th to August 24th

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Ben Wakeling: Loving Fiercely, Inside and Outside

Ben Wakeling: Loving Fiercely, Inside and Outside

February 15, 2024

‘Abstract Figurativism: Loving Fiercely’ a solo show by Ben Wakeling

Ben Wakeling street work. (photo © Smorray)

 

Ben Wakeling, a British artist celebrated for his abstract figurative art on the street and on canvas, brings his unique expression to BSMT with “Abstract Figurativism: Loving Fiercely.”

Wakeling, known for his powerful charcoal lines and bold colors, explores the depths of self-portraiture by letting his hands draw in an automated way, revealing his inner consciousness. His work, a blend of abstraction and classic portraiture, transmutes the inner workings of his world onto canvas.

 

Wakeling, known for his powerful charcoal lines and bold colors, explores the depths of his self-portraiture by letting his hands draw in an automated way, revealing his inner consciousness. His work, a blend of abstraction and classic portraiture, transmutes the inner workings of his world onto canvas.

This exhibition, opening this February at BSMT, promises a journey through Wakeling’s exploration and re-invention of self-portraiture, showcasing a collection of large-format paintings and unseen drawings.

According to the press release, “He lets his hands draw in an automated way, reminiscent of the surrealist exercise of revealing inner consciousness through automatic writing. However, what Wakeling expresses is his identity in self-portraiture, suppressing conscious control in the process.”

The exhibition will feature a collection of eight large-format paintings alongside a selection of never-before-seen drawings.

Ben Wakeling street work. (photo © Ben Wakeling)
Ben Wakeling. Self-portrait. (photo courtesy of BSMT)
Ben Wakeling street work. (photo © Not Banksy Forum)

Ben Wakeling: ‘Abstract Figurativism: Loving Fiercely’

Dates:

Opening night: February 22nd, 6pm – 9pm. 

Show dates: February 23rd – March 3rd.

BSMT SPACE GALLERY

529 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AR, United Kingdom

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Perspicere – “Bare Thread” – BSMT Space, UK

Perspicere – “Bare Thread” – BSMT Space, UK

May 18, 2023

Continuity. That is a characteristic inherent in string art, usually because one associates the act of long rolls of string repeatedly wrapped around nail heads to create a piece. In the area of street art, there have been a few notable examples of artists using string to make new artworks in public space; the American HOTTEA, who is known for his large-scale installations of colorful strings as well as more human-sized typographic slogans on chain-link fences, Spidertag from Spain who began with yarns and nails and graduated to neon and fluorescent installations of geometric, often abstract designs on surfaces. Mademoiselle Maurice is known for string and origami elements in her installations, and Jane Echelman has displayed massive aerial sculptures of woven rope and fibers in public spaces. Although you may easily make that connection, we won’t go into yarn-bombing.

From his Instagram, Perspicere says “Take back to 2018 when I first had a piece of my artwork set on fire….
Good Times…” (© photo courtesy of the artist)

Today we’re talking about the unbroken threads of artist Perspicere and his new exhibition called ‘BARE THREAD’. He has a talent for conjuring ghost-like portraits on canvasses and on the street using a technique not known or mastered by many. Wound in complex and individual patterns, the people emerge upward and outward toward you, even though they are necessarily anchored.

Perspicere. Bare Thread. BSMT Space. London, UK. (image courtesy of the gallery)

Once relegated to the realms of DIY, or crafting, string art has also gained recognition and acceptance as a legitimate art form in contemporary art circles while artists have pushed the boundaries of the medium, experimenting with various materials, techniques, and concepts. Much like its brother graffiti, whether string art is considered “high art” or not largely depends on the individual and the context in which it is presented. Here at BSMT Space gallery in London, there is no question.

BARE THREAD is Perspicere’s second solo show at BSMT Space in London, who say the works are “Truly breath-taking and thought-provoking, ‘Bare Thread’ is an exhibition that deftly weaves together themes of vulnerability, courage, and the human condition.” In a recent posting on Instagram, the gallery says “These pieces need to be seen in person, the complexity of the interwoven thread is astounding!”

Perspicere. Bare Thread. BSMT Space. London, UK. (image courtesy of the gallery)
From August 6, 2022, the artist writes with this video on Instagram “Action video of a recent piece down Leake Street. Brief action appearance of @allseeing.ra …. since this video my piece has been tagged, ripped AND set on fire!! Damn… these toys hate the string!!!..”
A Photoshopped image of Perspicere’s work in the streets. (image courtesy of the gallery)

‘Bare Thread’ opens at London’s BSMT gallery with a private view on May 25th, with drinks generously provided by our good friends at Magic Spells Brewery. The show runs from May 26th to June 11th, 2022. For catalogue enquiries or to attend the opening night RSVP via hello@bsmt.co.uk.

BSMT

529 Kingsland Road

London

E8 4AR

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Cranio is Lost in London: New Show at BSMT

Cranio is Lost in London: New Show at BSMT

July 28, 2022

You never know who you will find in the BSMT, and this little blue guy from Brazil is just the perfect troublemaker to light the doorway as you pass by. A talisman for the global game of street art and graffiti, Cranio’s blue character is an extension perhaps of himself – a combination alter-ego and representative for the indigenous people of Brazil.

Now he travels to this London gallery called BSMT, the newest canvasses engaging you as the artist Cranio (Fabio de Oliveira Parnaiba) invites you to engage again with his philosophical, comedic, and socially observant blue man.

Cranio (photo © London Calling Blog)
Cranio (photo © London Calling Blog)
Cranio (photo © London Calling Blog)
Cranio (photo © London Calling Blog)
Cranio (photo © London Calling Blog)

Private view: 6pm – 9pm, Thursday 28th July 2022

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