Romantic or platonic, utterly unconditional, or still a work-in-progress, love is love is love – and the world needs a whole lot more of it. And so, to celebrate its new ‘Unleash the Love’ collection, Fortnum & Mason has worked with art curation and consultant collective, Gone Rogue, to collaborate with six street artists to take-over its Piccadilly windows. ALO, Olly Howe, Luap, Ben Allen, Opake and David Speed were given a one-word brief of “love” and given total freedom to create street-art inspired by what love looks like to them; the result is an utterly unique window of street-art that varies in both interpretation and design.

Drawing on the eight types of love in Greek philosophy, Fortnum’s ‘Unleash the Love’ collection is a celebration of all types of love – from the romance of Eros to the friendship of Philia. Graphic motifs of these love-types* have been hand-painted onto a large canvas, which adorns Fortnum’s new vibrant collection. The delectable range includes decadently smooth chocolates, a light and delicate ‘tea for two’ and of course, a selection of heart-warming hampers- perfect for gifting those you love on Valentines Day.

Sallie Smith, Fortnum’s Head of Visual Presentation says: “Fortnum’s love to work with and support all forms of art, and having our new heart boxes in an exciting graffiti design seemed the perfect opportunity to work with street artists in producing this window run. Giving the single word brief of ‘love’, allowed each artist to truly express what ‘love’ meant to them in their own individual style. The thought behind the campaign is that love is much bigger than Valentines, and can take on many forms, so I am thrilled to have 6 incredible, and completely different pieces displayed in our windows.”

Fortnum & Mason is proud to be exhibiting the artworks in its windows until the end of March, and to mark the end of the channel wide ‘Unleash the Love’ campaign, the artworks will be sold at an auction held at Fortnum’s to raise money for charity. From the end of January, the original piece of art that inspired Fortnum’s new collection will be exhibited on the ground floor of Piccadilly and will be complemented by an impressive display in the central atrium. This display will see a flurry of floating hearts rotating from the ceiling to ground floor, and as well as this, customers will be invited to unleash the love themselves, by stickering a large eau de Nil heart situated in the centre of the store.

ARTISTS AND THEIR ARTWORKS:

ALO @alo_art

Dubbed the ‘Urban Expressionist’, Alo (Aristide Loria) brings Fine Art into an urban context. Intricate and detailed, his work can be found in London, New York, Paris and Berlin.

“Eveline represents the idea of universal and unconditional love through motherhood. The detailed technique is typical of ALO’s work, in this particular case it’s used for an imagery connected to African women. The motherhood theme is also inspired by Giotto’s and Michelangelo’s madonnas.”

‘Eveline’, ALO

OLLY HOWE @ollyhowe
Dubbed the ‘Urban Expressionist’, Alo (Aristide Loria) brings Fine Art into an urban context. Intricate and detailed, his work can be found in London, New York, Paris and Berlin.

“Eveline represents the idea of universal and unconditional love through motherhood. The detailed technique is typical of ALO’s work, in this particular case it’s used for an imagery connected to African women. The motherhood theme is also inspired by Giotto’s and Michelangelo’s madonnas.”

‘Emergence’, Olly Howe

LUAP @luap
Paul Robinson, also known as ‘LUAP,’ is a British multidisciplinary artist born in 1982. Originally from Grimsby, LUAP is now based in London and has showcased his work on a global scale.

Acting as a creative conduit, “The Pink Bear ” integrates into a variety of mediums. Spanning hyper-realistic oil paintings, performances, sculpture, and photography. LUAP’s work defies easy categorization. Blending elements of Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Hyperrealism.

“Navigating the emptiness of the shadows, The Pink Bear carries flowers as a beacon of life, undeterred by life’s adversities, steadfastly walking forward finding light.”

‘Finding Light in Darkness’, LUAP

BEN ALLEN @benallenart
Occupying a space between street art, graffiti, graphic design, pop culture and modernism, each brush stroke and mark of Ben’s work is an unselfconscious reflection of his mood and energy.
“In the canvas of existence, love is the graffiti that transcends cultures, a sacred art drawn by gods and goddesses, intertwining threads of deity’s whispers, creating a masterpiece of mindfulness in the tapestry of our shared human experience. In the vibrant mosaic of modern culture, my creation reimagines deities arising from urban street environments, to bring us messages of mindful transformation, blending the ancient with the contemporary.”

‘Love God’, Ben Allen

OPAKE @opake_art
Known for his bold works featuring iconic cartoon characters, Opake’s style – described as ‘the disintegration of pop culture’ – channels his experiences with addiction into something truly unique.

“My Nan was as British as they come. As a young, wild kid she drilled manners into me and pushed me towards creativity and fine art. She dragged me kicking and screaming through numerous museums which, at the time, I saw no relevance to. After these disastrous trips we would go to Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea. She saw this shop as a bastion of London with pure magic stacked on its shelves. Sadly she passed away last year, having suffered with Alzheimer’s and shortly after I was asked to be a part of something so much bigger than me, that meant so much to someone I loved dearly…the Universe moves in mysterious ways.”

‘Married with kids but still got it’, Opake

David Speed @davidspeeduk
David Speed is an east london based artist, best known for his series of neon paintings. the artist’s unique signature style, uses bold fluorescent colours to dramatically captivate viewers. David’s work is centred on themes of identity, connection and untold stories.
“I once heard an interview with world-renowned artist David Choe. He said that when he paints in the streets he uses black paint because it’s hard and aggressive. This is one of the reasons why I use neon pink in my work. It is so bright and full of light. Street art carries with it the voice of rebellion, but there is no reason that we cannot fight with love and kindness. The theme of love flows through many of my pieces. With this work, I was trying to capture tenderness, connection and emotion. We show this with our faces, but I wanted to see if it was possible to convey love, only through delicately touching hands.”

‘Love’, David Speed