Graff HQ have moved to a new home in the city centre. After loads of hard work the place looks great and last weekend they had a party to celebrate the opening. I caught up with the owner Izzy about what's new at the HQ and went along to get some photos.
Address: Graff HQ, Basement Unit, 44 Humberstone Gate, Leicester, LE1 3PJ
website: www.graffhq.com
Opening Hours: Tues - Fri: 11:00 - 18:00 / Sat: 10:00 - 17:00
HQ sell a wide range of graffiti supplies and general art supplies. They're selling even more of a range than they were at the old place now, including just about every kind of spray paint you can think of, paint pens, markers and everything you would need to refill or customise a marker, inks and tools for printing as well as high end art markers and graphic pens. They sell clothing and all sorts of graffiti accessories you can imagine, from caps and nozzles to sketchbooks, gloves and masks to books and DVDs. Also if they don't happen to have what you need in store they can order in whatever you need with fast turn around times. I've used them for this service personally and they were great, they had exactly what I needed within a few days. As if that isn't enough in itself they now match internet prices, so there is no excuse not to pop in for what you need.
Also they sort out legal walls for graffiti in and around the city centre. They had a number of different spots (including a huge mural outside the actual shop) being painted on the day of the opening by graffiti writers from all over. I've followed the graffiti scene in this city for over ten years, and I've never seen a single vehicle work so hard to grow the scene and breath life into it. It's great that the HQ are really taking the initiative and putting Leicester on the map as far as graffiti culture in this country goes.
They're also a super friendly bunch of guys who work there and they're always happy to see people, so even if you are in town, pop in and say hello. I'm sure they would be glad to make your acquaintance. Graffiti shops have a reputation for being cliquey and particularly unwelcoming. Growing up I especially noticed that with a few graffiti shops out of town, HQ is the complete opposite.
Here are some snaps from last Saturday, the official opening of the new store.
The murals of the trainlines and the train in the shop were done by Mono
Izzy shown me a bunch of photos of them working hard on renovating the space
The mural on the outside of the shop in progress
graffiti murals at a legal spot on Church Gate
More artwork in progress on Humberstone Gate
Long live Graff HQ, the dawning of a new era.
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