In April 2026, concern began circulating around the future of Liberty, STIK’s monumental mural at the corner of East 9th Street and Avenue A in New York’s East Village.
Workers had begun repainting parts of the building, raising fears that the 13-year-old, 4-floor-tall artwork could be lost. For many, this was not just another mural. It was a familiar presence in the neighbourhood, a work that had become woven into the visual identity of the East Village.
Following a wave of public concern, the building’s management confirmed that the mural would remain. The response from the local community, collectors, and STIK’s wider audience appears to have been decisive. A representative for the building reportedly acknowledged that the landlord had been surprised by the strength of support, adding that the importance of the mural to the community was what changed the outcome.
That reaction says a great deal about STIK’s position.
STIK’s figures are famously minimal, often reduced to the simplest possible language of line, body and gesture. Yet their emotional reach is unusually broad. They are anonymous, but deeply human. They are silent, but socially charged. They do not explain themselves, but they carry feeling, vulnerability, solidarity and resistance with remarkable clarity.
Liberty is a particularly powerful example. Painted in Tompkins Square in 2013, the work was created as a power salute to the radical history of the area. Tompkins Square has long been associated with protest, activism and civic struggle, including the 1874 workers’ riots and the 1988 housing riots. In that context, STIK’s raised arm becomes more than a graphic gesture. It becomes a marker of presence, defiance and collective memory.
This is central to understanding STIK’s importance. His work is not simply street art that moved into the market. It is public art that continues to belong, in part, to the communities around it.
From his early socially conscious murals in Hackney to large-scale public works in London, New York and Tokyo, STIK has built a practice around visibility, empathy and shared space. His official biography describes him as a minimalist figurative painter and sculptor focused on the human body in line form, with major public works including some of the largest public artworks in London, New York and Tokyo, and the permanent 4-metre bronze sculpture Holding Hands in Hoxton Square.
The saving of Liberty also sits within a wider pattern in STIK’s career. His public works often take on lives beyond their original walls. In London, Big Mother, once Britain’s tallest mural, was partly salvaged after demolition, with the surviving section sold to raise money for a local arts charity. In Hoxton Square, Holding Hands became a permanent public sculpture, rooted in themes of solidarity, inclusion and connection.
These moments matter because they show what separates STIK from many artists working in the public realm. His work does not rely on excess. It does not need complexity to carry weight. Instead, the simplicity of the figure allows the surrounding context to speak: the street, the building, the community, the political history, the people passing every day.
For collectors, this is part of the enduring appeal.
To acquire a work by STIK is not only to acquire an image. It is to engage with a wider visual language that has travelled from the streets of East London to major international cities, while retaining its connection to public life, social consciousness and emotional directness.
The recent preservation of Liberty is a reminder that STIK’s work is not only recognised by institutions and collectors. It is protected by people. That is a rare kind of cultural value.
D’Stassi Art works closely with collectors looking to acquire important works by STIK. If you are looking to add STIK to your collection, or are searching for rare, unique or particularly special examples, please get in touch with the gallery directly.
Best,
D'Stassi Team.
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In April 2026, concern began circulating around the future of Liberty, STIK’s monumental mural at the corner of East 9th Street and Avenue A in New York’s East Village.
Workers had begun repainting parts of the building, raising fears that the 13-year-old, 4-floor-tall artwork could be lost. For many, this was not just another mural. It was a familiar presence in the neighbourhood, a work that had become woven into the visual identity of the East Village.
Following a wave of public concern, the building’s management confirmed that the mural would remain. The response from the local community, collectors, and STIK’s wider audience appears to have been decisive. A representative for the building reportedly acknowledged that the landlord had been surprised by the strength of support, adding that the importance of the mural to the community was what changed the outcome.
That reaction says a great deal about STIK’s position.
STIK’s figures are famously minimal, often reduced to the simplest possible language of line, body and gesture. Yet their emotional reach is unusually broad. They are anonymous, but deeply human. They are silent, but socially charged. They do not explain themselves, but they carry feeling, vulnerability, solidarity and resistance with remarkable clarity.
Liberty is a particularly powerful example. Painted in Tompkins Square in 2013, the work was created as a power salute to the radical history of the area. Tompkins Square has long been associated with protest, activism and civic struggle, including the 1874 workers’ riots and the 1988 housing riots. In that context, STIK’s raised arm becomes more than a graphic gesture. It becomes a marker of presence, defiance and collective memory.
This is central to understanding STIK’s importance. His work is not simply street art that moved into the market. It is public art that continues to belong, in part, to the communities around it.
From his early socially conscious murals in Hackney to large-scale public works in London, New York and Tokyo, STIK has built a practice around visibility, empathy and shared space. His official biography describes him as a minimalist figurative painter and sculptor focused on the human body in line form, with major public works including some of the largest public artworks in London, New York and Tokyo, and the permanent 4-metre bronze sculpture Holding Hands in Hoxton Square.
The saving of Liberty also sits within a wider pattern in STIK’s career. His public works often take on lives beyond their original walls. In London, Big Mother, once Britain’s tallest mural, was partly salvaged after demolition, with the surviving section sold to raise money for a local arts charity. In Hoxton Square, Holding Hands became a permanent public sculpture, rooted in themes of solidarity, inclusion and connection.
These moments matter because they show what separates STIK from many artists working in the public realm. His work does not rely on excess. It does not need complexity to carry weight. Instead, the simplicity of the figure allows the surrounding context to speak: the street, the building, the community, the political history, the people passing every day.
For collectors, this is part of the enduring appeal.
To acquire a work by STIK is not only to acquire an image. It is to engage with a wider visual language that has travelled from the streets of East London to major international cities, while retaining its connection to public life, social consciousness and emotional directness.
The recent preservation of Liberty is a reminder that STIK’s work is not only recognised by institutions and collectors. It is protected by people. That is a rare kind of cultural value.
D’Stassi Art works closely with collectors looking to acquire important works by STIK. If you are looking to add STIK to your collection, or are searching for rare, unique or particularly special examples, please get in touch with the gallery directly.
Best,
D'Stassi Team.