An artist who once punched his girlfriend in the face at a gallery opening has admitted to ‘vandalising’ works by a Brighton graffiti creator that has spoken out about his past abuse.
Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, Ben Eine, 54, who became celebrated in the street art scene in the noughties – and was good pals with Banksy – admitted to ruining murals by street painter Snub23 after he allegedly called him a ‘wife beater’.
Ben convicted of assault in 2018 but has continued to be successful in the industry with his distinct, bright lettering aesthetics.
Over past months Snub23 and Sprite – a couple known for their colourful designs beloved around the walls of the seaside city – became the targets of ‘ugly tags’ sprayed over their pieces after they ‘called Ben out for abusing women’.
The spoiled pieces have often been sprayed over with the ‘EINE’ signature and some social media accounts have circulated footage Ben filmed and uploaded of himself defacing one of the murals in Southend – before he took it down.
Ben has now revealed that he was behind some of the damage to Snub23’s works – but claims he ‘has not vandalised the work of Sprite and wouldn’t’.
‘In 2018, I was convicted of assault against my then-girlfriend during what was a deeply toxic relationship,’ he told FEMAIL in a statement.
‘While this does not excuse my actions, I want to be clear that the situation is not being accurately represented.
‘For the past three years, I have been committed to my recovery, attending local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and sponsoring others who are struggling with addiction.
‘My focus has been on maintaining my sobriety, improving my mental health, and making amends where possible. I know that nothing can undo the past, but I have also sought to give back by volunteering with charities to help others.
‘Recently, the street artist Snub has repeatedly misrepresented me online, labelling me as an abuser and a “wife-beater.”‘
Ben claimed that Snub23 has ‘also contacted street art festival organisers in an effort to damage his reputation’.
‘When I attempted to have a direct conversation with him about this, he responded with a list of demands and threats,’ he continued.
‘The pressure of this situation severely impacted my mental health, leading to a significant relapse. During this period, I vandalised some of his artwork – something I deeply regret. I have not vandalised the work of Sprite and I wouldn’t.’
‘I believe in accountability, growth, and second chances. I take full responsibility for my past actions and remain committed to personal improvement and positive contributions to my community.’
Posting about the situation online, Sprite herself has over this past week said that she is ‘not backing down’ and will continue to speak out against Ben.
‘Ben Eine is a convicted abuser of women,’ she wrote in a Reddit post. ‘Not only does he commit violence against women in private. He also punched his girlfriend at the time in the mouth at an art gallery event in London back in 2018.
‘As a woman and a victim of abuse myself I am very uncomfortable with him being at the events I work at. So I got in touch with the organisers of those projects and events and made them aware of his convictions.
‘Most of the time, the organisers would shrug me off so I and others would spend the days at the festivals full of anxiety.’
She claimed that since October, her and her partner Snub23’s works have been vandalised and she has been ‘harassed’.
‘I’m now also receiving threats from a friend of his,’ she continued. ‘It’s been escalating and the other day he traveled all the way to Southend on sea just to destroy some artwork.
‘I’m a stubborn fool and I don’t like bullies thinking they will win. Plus too many people have got in contact with me with details of their own bad experiences with Ben. I won’t be backing down.’
‘I am just taking things day by day in regards to whether we are fixing work or letting it stay damaged for a while,’ she added. ‘I’ve spent a lot of time fixing walls to have them defaced again by Ben and his flying monkeys within a few hours.
‘Apologies for the streets looking a bit s**t right now. Trying my best!’
As reported by the Evening Standard, in 2018 Ben was convicted of assault after he punched his girlfriend Maria Claudine in the face at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery when she accused him of cheating.
The court heard that he ‘swung his fist’ at her, and ‘left the woman with a split lip’.
Ben – a twice-married father-of-seven – and Maria reportedly got into an argument after she saw a photo of another woman on his phone and ‘jumped to conclusions’.
The police was told: ‘He punched me in the face … in the mouth with a clenched fist, with some force… I was bleeding from the mouth.’
The court also heard that Ben had been drinking, and pleaded guilt to assault by beating and criminal damage.
An anonymous Instagram account titled @speaking_our_mind has been documenting the vandalised artworks, and reporting on the ‘dangerous and abusive people within our community’.
The first post features a now-deleted video from Ben’s Instagram account, which shows a video of a hooded man – understood to be himself – spraying his tag over Snub23’s mural in Southend.
Sprite commented on the original upload: ‘Hey Ben, while I’ll appreciate your dedication travelling 100 miles just to destroy all of mine and @snub_23’s work for calling you out in regards to your conviction of assault against women.
‘I think it’s really sad you had to bring a load of unnecessary work to Steve and Karl who will now have to spend time and money painting over this.
‘They’ve done a lot to support you and this is a really s***ty way of repaying them.’
In another post, the account penned: ‘Many people have had negative experiences with Ben.
‘People have experienced abuse, sexism, racism and bullying.
‘It’s important that abusers like Ben are not celebrated with our industry and allowed to participate at public events where people can be put at risk.
‘His participation is also triggering for victims of abuse. They are fearful of people like this and do not wish for them to be given a platform to promote themselves.’
The community has been baffled by the vandalised works, as a Reddit thread questioned ‘Does anyone know what’s going on with the graffiti in Brighton atm?’
‘Hey I’m new to the subreddit but not new to Brighton (born and raised),’ they penned.
‘I tend to walk around Brighton looking at/and for street art but lately I’ve been seeing a lot of these ugly tags does anybody know anything seems a shame someone ruining all these great pieces.’
FEMAIL has also reached out to Sprite and Snub23 for comment.
Ben, usually based in London, has in past been known as David Cameron’s wife Samantha’s favourite artist.
He is best known for his alphabet lettering on shop shutters in Shoreditch and Brick Lane.
When he was Prime Minister in 2010, Cameron had even given a work by Ben – entitled ‘Twenty-first Century City’, and made up of multi-coloured letters spelling out those words – to the Obamas.
Ben said of his past: ‘I was brought up in south London and I started out in theworld of graffiti when I was about 14 because I wanted to be part ofthat hooded tracksuit gang thing. I did it pretty hardcore for about 20years and the last time I had a close escape from prison.’
Describing his work, he elaborated: ‘I play around with the order ofletters to create patterns and colour them in to create more patterns.My kids love it, particularly Spike.’
Ben, whose real name is Benjamin Flynn, spent years in the capital as an unknown graffiti artist who wrote the word ‘EINE’, meaning ‘one’ in German, on street walls.
He became friends with Banksy after a chance meeting at a pub and the two worked on projects together for a few years.
A collaboration with exclusive handbag designer Anya Hindmarch raised his profile significantly and his canvases were selling for up to £7,500 in 2010.
On his current site, prints measuring 40x40cm centimetres – and spray painted on paper – can cost up to £1,950.
Meanwhile according to her site Sprite ‘specialises in a variety of artworks, including murals, stencils, pet portraits, and custom commissions’.
‘My artistic style is versatile, ranging from stunning landscapes to abstract designs,’ she added.
‘However, I have a particular love for painting animals, which stems from my lifelong love for wildlife. My work is vibrant, eye-catching, and always tells a unique story.
‘As a street artist, I believe that art has the power to transform the world around us. My murals and public artworks can be seen across Brighton and beyond, adding a pop of color and personality to urban spaces.’
And Snub23’s portfolio says: ‘SNUB23, with over 23 years of experience, I’m not just a street artist really, more a visual artist. Transforming ordinary walls into eye-catching delights.
‘From vibrant spray paint murals to intricate stencils and bold graphic designs, SNUB23’s hunger to learn new skills knows no bounds. Based in Brighton, UK, my work has reached audiences and adorned surfaces worldwide, spanning across Europe, Asia, and America.’
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