ABOUT

Portrait of UK artist Lee Eelus in his Brighton studio

It was the late 1980s when Lee Pennington's art career started in a primary school playground in northern England. When he was around 10 years old, he sold a small edition of hand-drawn posters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to his friends for 10 pence each. Although the sale was not a huge success, it allowed him to purchase an additional chocolate bar or two on his way home.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, Lee moved to London and discovered the world of street art. He started experimenting with stencil-based works and went by the name Eelus. Artists Banksy and Eine saw Lee's work around the East End before inviting him to release his first screenprint edition through the renowned print studio Pictures on Walls.

The picture of a young girl walking a Star Wars At-At sold out quickly, establishing Eelus as a favourite amongst collectors. The image has since become iconic and is considered a defining piece of the emerging art movement.

Eelus has since painted and exhibited worldwide alongside key figures within the movement. The desirability of his work is evident in the success of his solo exhibitions and sell-out print editions.

Eelus's unique visual style incorporates a wide range of found imagery, blending seemingly unrelated elements to create strange and playful tales that often explore the relationship between light and dark. His creative process serves as a therapeutic outlet, helping him find balance through his use of vivid colour and bold compositions in his prints, paintings, murals, and 3D work.

He currently lives in Brighton, UK.

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023

Disorder – March 30 – Jealous Gallery – London, UK.

2017

• Dance Boldly Through The Storm – Lawrence Alkin Gallery – London, UK.

2016

• The Dark Side of the Rainbow – Spoke Gallery – San Francisco, USA

2013

• Horrorshow – Ink_d Gallery, Brighton, UK

2012

• Curious – Black Book Gallery, Denver, CO, USA

2010

• Paradise Lost – Brooklynite Gallery, Brooklyn, New York, USA
• The Colour Out Of Space – Blackall Studios, London, UK

2008

• Electrik Eel – Electrik Sheep Gallery, Newcastle, UK


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS
2023

• Guilty by Association - Baltic, Gateshead, UK (Nov)

2022

• Through the Looking Glass – Paxton Glew Gallery, Brighton, UK (Oct)
• The Modest Magnificent – Well Hung Gallery

2021

• Black Magic – Paxton Glew Gallery, Brighton, UK (Oct 22 – Nov 21)
• RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW – Saatchi Gallery, London, UK (Aug 19 – Sep 9)
• London Original Print Week – Jealous Gallery, London, UK (May 1 – 8)
• 8 Year Anniversary Group Show – Vertical Gallery, Chicago, USA (Mar)

2020

• Hidden In Plain Sight – Unit 44 – Newcastle, UK (Dec)
• Vitamin Sea – PaxtonGlew – Brighton, UK (Apr 24 – May 23)
• 7 Year Anniversary Group Show – Vertical Gallery, Chicago, USA (Apr 4 – 25)
• OURTYPES – ‘UP’ Group Show – Jealous Gallery, London, UK (Mar 12 – 22)
• Affordable Art Fair NYC – Olivia Connelly – NYC, USA (Mar 25 – 29)

2019

• New Beginnings – Art Republic Gallery – Brighton, UK
• Urban Miniatures – PaxtonGlew – Brighton, UK
• CONTEXT Art Miami – Spoke Art Gallery – Miami, USA
• SCOPE Art Show – Thinkspace Gallery– Miami, USA
• Moniker Art Fair – Installation piece in conjunction with Urban Nation – London, UK
• Moniker Art Fair – with Thinkspace Gallery – London, UK
• LAX/MSY – Red Truck Gallery, curated by Thinkspace Gallery – New Orleans, LA, USA
• Spotlight: Stencil – Hashimoto Contemporary – NYC, USA
• Affordable Art Fair NYC – Olivia Connelly – NYC, USA

2018

• SCOPE Art Show – Thinkspace Gallery – Miami, USA
• LAX/PDX – Antler Gallery, curated by Thinkspace Gallery – Portland, OR, USA
• Affordable Art Fair – Olivia Connelly – London, UK
• Semi-Skimmed – Jealous Gallery, London, UK

2017

• Upfest – (Headline Artist) – Bristol, UK

2016

• SCOPE Art Show – Spoke Gallery – Miami, USA
• Norte South – London Westbank Gallery – Ibiza
• Moniker Art Fair – Art on a Postcard – London, UK
• The Saint – Unit 44 – Newcastle, UK

2015

• Affordable Art Fair – Olivia Connelly – London, UK
• Moniker Art Fair – Art on a Postcard – London, UK
• Mix Summer Show – Lawrence Alkin Gallery – London, UK
• Your Kid Can’t Do This – Ambush Gallery, Sydney, Australia
• Geeks for Piece – Moniker Warehouse, San Diego, USA
• Cut It Out – Urban Nation, Berlin, Germany

2014

• Rule of Three – Colab Gallery, Germany
• Moniker Art Fair – Horn of Plenty Gallery – London, UK
• The Subtle Art of Pop Culture –  Gallery 1988, Los Angeles, USA

2013

• Crazy for Cult 7 – Gallery 1988, New York, USA
• Into the Dark - Unit-44 Gallery, Newcastle, UK
• The Official Bad Robot Art Experience – Gallery 1988, Los Angeles, USA
• Write & Repeat – Stolen Space Gallery, London, UK

2010

• Never Judge…? – Stolen Space Gallery, London, UK
• Temwa Art for Africa – Dreambagjaguarshoes, London, UK
• No Time Like The Present – Lacoste Flagship store, London, UK

2009

• Green Day – Art of Rock – Stolen Space Gallery, London, UK
• MuTate – One Foot in the Grove – ‘Under the Westway’, London, UK

2008

• Stella Dore Group Show – Sebastian Guinness Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
• Cans Festival – Leak St Tunnel, Waterloo, London

2007

• 12 Days of Christmas – The Old Police Station, Bristol, UK
• The Grind – Foundation One Gallery, Atlanta, USA
• The Vader Project – 9 venues worldwide

2006

• Santa’s Ghetto – Pictures on Walls – London, UK
• Nuart – Stavanger, Norway

Selected Press & Collaborations