Hicks

Ed Hicks, also known as Hicks 54, is a British muralist, illustrator and graffiti artist, whose works move between graphically expressive landscapes and a bit more obscure themes. Ed first came to Belfast for us in 2012 for Seedhead Arts first major Street Art commission. The resulting gable wall still stands proudly at the Holywood Arches. We had Hicks back again for our first Hit the North in 2013 and again in 2015. More recently he has returned to Belfast for a number of Daisy Chain commissions and to take part in the Belfast Canvas project.

Ed Hicks is constantly developing his art – he started off with conventional graffiti characters and then incorporated elaborated figures and landscapes. Nowadays, however, Ed produces more confusing and complicated pieces. A painted character provides the viewer with a whole narrative. In the other case, the absence of a character in a painting leaves room for the viewers to find themselves, and that’s how the dialogue starts.

Hicks never planes before painting. He believes in muscle memory rendering certain shapes. These shapes are then morphed into more concrete themes like animals or faces. The influence of other artists is present, but as a piece develops, it slowly vanishes, leaving the artist with a unique artwork.