Kill Your Darlings is Kid Acne’s First Solo exhibition hosted at the Millennium Gallery.
One of Sheffield Hallam’s own, Kid Acne Graduated in 2000 with a degree in fine art. He quickly became recognised as one of the biggest and most important graffiti artists in Sheffield. His simple yet dynamic tongue in cheek style is sure to have caught your eye on the streets of our Steel City. Perhaps most memorable are the large scale poetic and inspirational sayings and phrases graffitied on to walls and buildings. Such as “you couldn’t make it up tha knows” around the back of Park Hill flats. Even the ex university arts building on Psalter lane, poignantly hosted the phrase “you’ll miss me when in gone” graffitied on the main entrance by kid acne before its closure.
Kill Your Darlings contains much of Kid Acne’s unmistakable graffiti style work which can be seen all across Sheffield. Kid Acnes talents are multiple however; the exhibition contains variety of mediums trough which his art is expressed from toys and comics to sculpture and even illustrated doors hanging from the ceiling which stretch the full length of the gallery.
Perhaps most interesting however, are his many sketch books and sheets which show the progression of his artistic style as it has developed from fanzine cartoons to large scale street graffiti.
Kid Acne has described graffiti to be like modern day folklore; “artists work under adopted names and stories are circulated by word of mouth, giving the main practitioners an almost mythical status.” Kid Acne’s new installation of work reflects mythical themes which kid acne has developed over the past few years. Blood and sand for example, is an imaginary world and belief system which Kid Acne created for his spiky female characters. These characters can be seen throughout kid acnes work. And were created in a response to the overblown teenage fantasies of graffitied women he had seen on the streets. The result is empowered women warriors with personality.
A legend on the Sheffield graffiti scene, Kid Acne’s art has inspired many, and will continue do so for some time to come.
Jessica Wilson
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