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Street Art: John Sheehy's expressive works have hit Somerset House

The Big Issue's Street Art page gives talented, marginalised individuals an outlet for creative expression

‘I SHALL ALWAYS BE THERE’

By John Sheehy

It’s been a tough road for Sheehy, but the regular Irish-born contributor to Street Art has seen his expressive works gain much-deserved recognition and acclaim.

After experiencing periods of homelessness and suffering mental health problems, John began to paint in 1999, aged 51, at a creative group run by The Big Issue in Vauxhall, London. His first major exhibition was staged at London’s Studio Voltaire in 2017, and he’s also had pieces displayed at Somerset House and The British Museum. Last year John sold three paintings and gifted two other pieces to The Arts Council Collection, the UK’s largest national loan collection of modern and contemporary art.

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