Urban Artist Inkfetish

29-year-old Inkfetish, aka Tom Blackford, has been decorating London for many years, making his work some of the most recognisable on London streets; in fact chances are that if you haven’t been aware of who he is until now, you’ll still recognise his work.

I’ve admired Inkfetish’s work since moving to London almost five years ago. With an individual style and the bold use of slap-you-in-the-face colours, his work is intriguing, distinctive, and done with such panache and flair that it’s almost intoxicating. A self-confessed perfectionist, this shines through in each piece, as does his passion, and this talent has not gone unnoticed. He’s worked with many multi-national companies including Nike, MTV and EA Games, and his work has become highly covetable.

Alice (above), his most recent piece, was created as part of a live paint for Whitecross Street Party: Rise of the Non-Conformists, which took place in East London at the weekend, and is quite possibly one of my favourite pieces to date. We had a brief chat with him before he took out the spray cans.

How long have you been painting for?

‘Seriously for about seven years.’

Describe your style…

‘A subversive mixture of Japanese and American pop/sub culture.’

Who or what influences you?

‘Art in general, comics, anime, graffiti, horror movies, dreams, the list goes on…’

Where’s your favourite London hotspot?

‘Forbidden Planet store for shopping, I can spend hours in there.’

Where’s the best area to paint?

‘Anywhere hassle free. I’m easily distracted so being in a quiet space works for me.’

What are the best and worst aspects of living in London?

‘I like the vibrancy and diversity of London and the fact that everything’s so accessible. On the flip-side, I think it’s a difficult place to support yourself as an artist without any other means of income due to the high cost of living; but then again that could be seen as a motivating factor.’

Describe your perfect London day…

‘Painting a wall with my talented crew (40 Hit Kombo) on a hot summer day with a few beers, followed by a movie in the evening with a special lady. It’s the little things…’

Where can we see your work?

‘On the street if you’re lucky enough. I’ve currently got some new paintings available from Guest Basset on Whitecross Street. Failing any of these real life experiences you can view a bunch of stuff online via my site: www.inkfetish.co.uk.’