The second in our six-part series into the creative minds behind The Palm House’s unique artwork. Meet RUN, an Italian artist based in East London. One of the first to paint on the Berlin wall, he’s become an incredibly sought after artist thanks to the level of detail and storytelling to his craft. He spoke to us about his work within The Palm House and the story behind it.

 

Can you describe your studio?
“I’ve been based at my art studio in East London for the last decade. Before then I didn’t even call myself an artist. I think I’ve always had the urge of recognition, or for others to know my skill. It seems a weakness, but I do – I want to discover my position in society. I feel what I do is needed and I want to be able to do it forever. Making art is the way I shape the reality I live in.”

How did you find working with Folk on The Palm House?
“It’s been very professional. No time to waste, no indecisions. Everything had to go in place and at the right time. For this project, I had to document myself, as I always do, and Harrow. Creating something site-specific means you need to take into consideration the past, present and future of a place.”

Tell us about your process, medium & the artwork itself?
“The process included a year of planning and sketching, revisiting ideas several times, changing and adjusting the colours. The initial idea started with stone, which is the most historical element of Harrow. The mural is a landscape consisting of three elements: blue pipes, the stones (or boulders) and the people. The pipe element is the flora, the trees, the roots and plants. The boulders are the earth’s composition, the elements that compose the plane, making life possible to happen. These three elements make this landscape.”

How do you hope the community here will engage with your works?
“Surrounded by all this technology and massive creations of the Folk site, I felt very small. Small in the sense that you start thinking ‘How will my invention here be noticed?’ I’m just a humble painter at the end and I can’t change too much with just a few brush strokes. But then towards the end, I thought almost the opposite. The mural is giving to this place originality and unicity, that nothing else can. I think that the painting will inspire people. It will drive them in the right direction, while young professionals are concentrated in their work.”

Learn more about the Folk at the Palm House here