Steve Lazarides

Bristol, United Kingdom

Steve Lazarides is a publisher, photographer, collector, and curator who has played a vital role in popularising street and underground art. Raised in Bristol, he developed his photography skills at Newcastle Polytechnic, capturing the vibrant subcultures of the 1980s.

As the photography director of Sleazenation from 1996 to 2001, he gained recognition, but his collaboration with Banksy in 1997 brought him into the spotlight. He became the artist's gallerist and, in 2006, opened a gallery in London that showcased artists like Invader, JR, and Vhils, pushing traditional exhibition boundaries.

After parting ways with Banksy in 2008, Lazarides continued to innovate with pop-up shows that merged art and experience. By 2016, he curated a vast archive of 100,000 images, including 12,000 documenting Banksy's evolution. His self-published works, "Banksy Captured Volumes I and II," reflect his deep connection to graffiti culture and Banksy's evolving career.