Spanish street artists duo PichiAvo return to London with Chromata, a bold new exhibition at StolenSpace Gallery that reimagines the relationship between classical art and graffiti through vibrant contrasts of colour and texture. Known for their ability to merge antiquity with contemporary street energy, the artists delve into the philosophy of visibility, time, and transformation in their latest body of work. With Chromata, PichiAvo push their visual language further than ever — exploring colour as emotion, and removal as revelation. We caught up with PichiAvo to talk about controlled chaos, rediscovering beauty in the unexpected, and how London continues to inspire their evolution.
Giedrius: Chromata marks your return to StolenSpace after five years. What does it feel like to revisit London — a city that played such an important role in your early artistic journey?
PichiAvo: London was the first city that really believed in us, so coming back always feels special. Our last show with StolenSpace was in 2020, but we couldn’t be there because of COVID-19. That’s why this return feels even more meaningful. It’s rewarding to revisit a place that was so important in our early journey, it means we must have done something right. This time we come back with new techniques, new perspectives, and a renewed sense of energy and purpose.
G: The exhibition introduces a new technique, also called ‘Chromata’, built around contrast and colour theory. How did this concept evolve, and what inspired you to make contrast itself the core of your process?
PA: Like any creative process, it all comes down to trial and error. Chromata is the result of continuous experimentation and our desire to keep growing and evolving as artists. Even though we have a recognizable style, we always like to work under the influence of new goals and inspirations, pushing ourselves to explore new directions.
G: Your work is defined by a dialogue between classical sculpture and graffiti. How does this new series deepen or transform that conversation between antiquity and urban art?
PA: Our new series continues the dialogue between classical sculpture and graffiti, but in a more immersive way. We explore how ancient forms can be transformed through contemporary urban expression, creating a space where the past and present coexist. It’s about highlighting contrasts, breaking expectations, and showing that classical and street art are not opposites, but can enrich each other when combined thoughtfully.
G: In ‘Chromata’, you explore both presence and absence — colour versus grayscale, layers revealed and removed. What does this play of visibility mean to you artistically or philosophically?
PA: For us, Chromata represents a moment of change, the point when we stopped being afraid to evolve as artists and let go of stereotypes or other people’s opinions. It’s about fully surrendering to the creative process, enjoying it, and letting things flow naturally. We don’t really see presence and absence, or colour and grayscale, as opposites. The same way, we don’t think street art and classical art are in conflict, they coexist naturally in our work. We like to think that what we do finds a balance between the two. Classical figures already hold strong recognition among scholars and art lovers, but by introducing graffiti, we break away from the traditional perceptions of classical art. Bringing both worlds together is our way of giving street art more visibility and legitimacy.
G: The act of layering and scratching away paint in ‘Chromata’ feels almost archaeological — uncovering hidden histories. Can you talk about that process and what it reveals about your view of time and memory in art?
PA: Our painting process always starts from the idea of building layers, of colors, materials, and meanings. In Chromata, scratching and removing paint is just another way to explore the same concept. It’s almost like an archaeological action, where taking something away lets something new appear. We like this idea of discovering what is already there but hidden, the same way we feel inspired when we see old painted shop windows or city walls with many stories inside them.
This way of working began with our Diaspasis series, where we were interested in the moment when fragments of a piece are uncovered. In Krystalika Chromata, we continue with that feeling, but now the artwork comes out through the act of removal itself, as if time and memory were part of the material, waiting for us to find them again.
G: Colour, form, and texture seem to collide in your new works, creating a kind of controlled chaos. How do you approach harmony and tension in your compositions?
PA: We try to internalize all those elements, color, form, and texture, so we can understand them and make them work together in a way that feels coherent and harmonious. The goal is for the composition to be something that the viewer can read naturally, even if there’s a sense of chaos inside. We always start from what we see around us, from the streets, where these kinds of combinations already exist every day.
Of course, sometimes harmony comes very naturally, and other times we need to revisit the work many times until it feels right. Since we are two artists creating one piece, the process can be more complex, but that’s something we really enjoy. Maybe that’s where the idea of “controlled chaos” truly comes from: two minds trying to find balance inside the same canvas.
G: Finally, what do you hope viewers take away from Chromata — not only as a visual experience but as an emotional or reflective one?
PA: With Chromata, we want viewers to connect with both classical art and graffiti on the same level, to see how these two worlds can coexist and speak to each other through color, form, and gesture. We also hope people can feel the same pleasure and curiosity we had while creating the pieces, and to reflect on the role of color today.
We live in a moment where color seems to be disappearing from many parts of everyday life, but there are still endless ways to use it, to give it meaning again, and to make it part of a more emotional and reflective experience.