David Speed, born in 1982, is a prominent street artist based in East London, renowned for his striking series of neon paintings. His unique style features bold, fluorescent colors that dramatically captivate viewers. David’s work explores themes of identity, connection, and untold stories. "I stumbled upon the neon style by accident in 2018 while attempting to paint a realistic portrait, using neon despite its lack of tone. I held onto the idea for a long time because I was too busy. In early 2020, some friends encouraged me to start painting again, as I had primarily painted for work and lost some motivation. I took it seriously and created several pieces, with social media responses motivating me."
Discover David Speed’s Artistic Journey
Watch a video showcasing his creative process
In 2020, David painted an impressive 98 pieces, claiming the experience helped him refine his skills and become a better painter. "It’s all about gradual skill acquisition through repetition, including the horrendous mistakes I made on pieces that never saw the light of my Instagram feed. Mistakes are a significant part of learning; without them, I wouldn’t improve."
David Speed is drawn to playing with light and shadow, creating visual drama through lighting techniques. He enjoys painting large-scale murals but also works on canvas, finding challenges in smaller projects with spray paint.
The Evolution of David Speed
In the early 2000s, David was in training to obtain a primary school teaching certificate while simultaneously pursuing a largely illegal graffiti career. Frustrated with the educational system, he realized that through creating art, mentoring young artists, and now hosting a personal podcast, he could help many more people connect with their creativity than through traditional education.
David is also one of the hosts of the successful podcast "Creative Rebels," which has topped the podcast charts in the creativity category. He gained public recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic when he painted the streets of Shoreditch, becoming one of the most well-known figures in the contemporary art scene in the UK.
"Painting on the street is my favorite thing to do. I’ve painted on abandoned buildings, railway tracks, busy streets, and highways—each location offers a different energy. I love the freedom, the immediate feedback from people, and the scale of the murals I can create."
An Interview with David Speed
Lee Sharrock interviewed David Speed for Art Plugged—here are some highlights from the conversation:
"My career can be divided into three main phases. The first ten years were spent as a semi-legal graffiti artist, and I was never told in my youth that I was particularly talented or successful in art. For instance, I received a C grade in art in high school. I had no direction to become an artist. But I discovered the world of graffiti, which in the early 2000s was not very fashionable and seen as negative. I just loved it. They always told me that some people are born with natural talent, and since I didn’t show signs of it, I thought I would never be good at anything because I wasn’t one of the 'talented' or 'special' people.
However, the more I painted, the more I realized that if you enjoy something and do it a lot, you get better at it. Yet, from every direction, they told me I would never be an artist. My teacher told me that being an artist is not a realistic career, and I should be more practical.
After about ten years, around 2010, I had a near-death experience while painting under a bridge on the A23 road towards Gatwick Airport. I stepped back to see my work, and a friend caught me and saved me. That was the moment I realized I was not invincible and that I was taking unnecessary risks. I decided to focus on commercial painting. At that point, around 2010, graffiti began to gain social recognition and appreciation; suddenly, art books about Banksy started appearing on coffee tables, which hadn’t happened before.
A few other artists and I started the "Joy Collective" project, where we painted colorful murals and community projects. For the next ten years, my career involved painting walls in offices and murals for brands. But as I painted for work, I became less passionate about my art. Then, when COVID-19 hit and all my commercial work disappeared, I began painting for myself again just to keep my sanity, and I started enjoying it once more.
This was essentially the third phase of my career. I didn’t anticipate it, but my work began to gain traction on social media, and my life changed as I painted the streets more often."
https://www.davidspeed.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/davidspeeduk/
This post is part of a dedicated series of posts on street art and graffiti in London
Shepard Fairey – Contemporary Activism
London's Leading Street Artists
James Cochran: Pointillism Art
Ben Wilson: Chewing Gum Art
Dan Kitchener – Urban Nights
HELCH Graffiti
Alex Arnell – Explosive Emotions
STIK – Minimalist Street Art
Otto Schade – Surrealism Art
ALO – Urban Expressionism
Space Invaders – Street Mosaics
David Speed – Neon Spray
Mr Doodle – Doodles of Joy
Nathan Bowen: Art Vigilante
London Street Art Guide
London Street Art Map
BEST Murals in London
Graffiti and street art – Leake Street Tunnel
Graffiti and Street Art Guide at Brick Lane
Graffiti and Street Art Guide in Camden Town
Among the Artists Featured in Posts About London:
Otto Schade, Zabou, Nerone, Banksy, Alice, ROA, Pasquini, Soker Uno, Gary Stanger, Irony, Dan Kitchener, Voydor, Fanakapan, DRT, Sr.X, Decolife, JXC, Marija Tiurina, Ansley Randall, Woskerski, Ben Wilson, Luke Smile, Nerone, MadC, Rosie Woods, Camille Walala, David Shillinglaw, Fin DAC, Clifton Street, Stik, Dale Grimshaw, Busk One, Bambi, C215, Phlegm, Pegasus, Invader, Jonesy, Frankie Strand, Alex Arnell, Sweet Toof, Amara Por Dios, Fanakapan, Eine, Jimmy C, Aspire, Red Romes, Nol, Mort Murray, VKM, Smackas, Benzi Brofman, Cap Sprays, Pad, Francois Got, Hunto, Alex Face, Ansley Randall, Fat Cap Sprays, Eska, Mister Tris, Snik, Mr Doodle, Shona Hardie, Abraham.O, Woskerski, Damitta, David Speed, David Puck, Olivier Roubieu, Fiya101, DFace, Layla, TRUST.iCON, Alo, Pixie, Frank Riot, Nathan Bowen