Richard Hambleton (1952-2017) was a Canadian artist who is considered one of the founding fathers of the street art movement and is often referred to as „The Godfather of Street Art“. After studying at Emily Carr University in Vancouver, he moved to New York in the 1970s, where he quickly became an integral part of the legendary Club 57 scene. There he socialised with greats such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Despite his close connection to the art elite of the time, he refused to be portrayed by Andy Warhol, as he saw himself primarily as a conceptual artist and always prioritised his work over his own person.

Hambleton achieved international fame in the 1980s with his provocative urban interventions. His career began with the macabre „Mass Murder“ series, in which he drew deceptively real chalk outlines of murder victims on pavements. However, he became world-famous for his iconic „Shadowman“ series: life-size shadow creatures painted in splattering black colour, which he placed in dark alleyways and backyards in Manhattan to emotionally touch or frighten passers-by. These gloomy silhouettes earned him exhibitions at the MoMA and multiple participations in the Venice Biennale.

Hambleton's influence extended far beyond the USA; among other things, he painted both sides of the Berlin Wall and was a lasting inspiration to later street art icons such as Banksy, Blek le Rat and JR. However, his life was also characterised by a severe drug addiction, which caused him to be forgotten for a time. It was only around ten years before his death that he experienced an impressive artistic renaissance. He died in 2017 at the height of this rediscovery, leaving behind a body of work that masterfully blurs the line between classical painting and radical street art.