Thursday 10th October | 5pm

Street Art – it’s a very hot topic at the moment, as we’ve recently watched Banksy produce a series of animal art pieces over 9 consecutive days around London. 

It’s a movement with no rules. It gives artists the freedom to work openly in public without any judgement. What’s created can be seen as an urban landscape revamp, and can even become an iconic landmark. Something we have seen more and more of across the North East. 

In celebration of the Street Art movement, we are collaborating with two renowned street artists, Mul and Prefab77. 'Covert Couture' will open Thursday 10th October from 5pm, where the artists will be showcasing their work in a contemporary art gallery for the first time – in the heart of Newcastle, transforming Hancock Gallery into a unique, urban space.

Mul

Mul, also known as Alex Mulholland, is an innovative artist and creative director from Newcastle upon Tyne, renowned for his striking large-scale outdoor murals, often infused with his signature flair and fresh creativity. His dynamic compositions are characterised by vibrant colours and his signature Running Heart character. They offer a fusion of universal themes with a playful, yet powerful visual language, and blend cartoon-like simplicity with the raw, expressive energy of Street Art

Combining the accessible and whimsical elements of cartoons with the rebellious and emotive qualities of Street Art, he crafts pieces that are not only visually arresting but also imbued with a sense of joy and vitality. This distinctive approach has enabled him to bridge diverse artistic worlds and engage with a broad audience.

With a rise in prominence during the 2020 lockdown, his murals are often created spontaneously and in public spaces like the Quayside, Ridley Place, and Ouseburn – transforming urban landscapes into vibrant canvases. This has cemented his reputation as a leading figure in Street Art, with a growing influence extending beyond Newcastle upon Tyne.

Prefab77

Prefab77, also known as Peter Manning, is a UK-based artist whose origins and influences are in England, California and New York. Training as a printmaker and being a designer for Her Majesty in the British Army was fundamental in influencing his early United Kingdom subject matter. He then went on to work in fashion and branding in New York, which influences his current work – focusing on portraiture and the female form.

Inspired by the layers of tags and posters from when he lived on Elizabeth Street in Nolita, as well as the appearance of art from Swoon, Faile, Obey, and WK Interact, his work is a culmination of all his obsessions. It weaves small pieces of popular culture into visually beautiful allegorical portraits to express an abstract idea or convey a meaning not explicitly outlined in the narrative. The style is fast, hard-edged and stripped down, a dark world of Gangs, Goddesses and Groupies, woven into a pure, rock and rebellion.

At Hancock Gallery, we’re incredibly proud and excited to see what unfolds at this exhibition and the innovative creativity it’ll bring to our Georgian townhouse and the North East as a whole.

Hancock Gallery Manager, Chris Morgan, said “Working with Mul and Prefab77 has been a really exciting journey. As a contemporary gallery, our collaboration with these two remarkable street artists has transformed our space into a vibrant canvas of urban expression. This exhibition is a must-see. It’s a unique fusion of Georgian architecture and street art, and a celebration of the vibrant culture that shapes our city – you don’t want to miss it!”

To be the first to see the exhibition first head to eventbrite . Keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook too, where more will be revealed in the countdown to Thursday 10th October.