The graffiti artist Helch, whose strikingly simple tag became a familiar sight across Shoreditch and on motorway bridges, has died. His death was announced at the weekend by BSMT gallery in Dalston, which hosted the artist's first-ever solo exhibition in 2025.
A Life Spent Leaving His Mark
Anyone with even a passing interest in street art will instantly recognise Helch's work. Wandering the streets of Shoreditch, it is impossible not to spot “HELCH” - or a simple “H” - emblazoned on walls, underneath railway bridges and on billboards. Millions have also viewed his artworks while driving under motorway bridges bearing his unmistakeable stylised tag.
The gallery wrote online: "Receiving news today of the untimely passing of Helch has left us broken hearted. It felt like he stepped into our lives out of the ether."
From Shoreditch to the Motorway
Shoreditch appears to have been one of Helch's principal canvases, with his tags easy to spot throughout the east London neighbourhood. But his work extended beyond EC2, rising to prominence thanks to a string of tags on motorway bridges, including on the M25, the M3 and the M4.
In 2018, he sparked controversy by painting a tag on the side of the Chalfont viaduct over the M25, north-west of London. The reason it upset people was because it replaced a popular piece of graffiti, which had been there for many years, which read GIVE PEAS A CHANCE. It was turned into GIVE HELCH A BREAK - sparking a petition to have the original one restored.
An Artist Remembered
One tag also appeared on the side of another viaduct close to Windsor Castle. The Sun reported an unnamed royal source as saying: "The Queen was extremely upset."
BSMT gallery recalled the journey of working with the artist: "It took six months to get him to agree to meet in person, and in 2022 we released his first print which sold out within the hour." The gallery added: "Over the past year his work progressed exponentially, he was coming into his own as an artist. A true perfectionist - he wouldn't present anything that wasn't to his standard and it was an honour to witness."
