How graffiti artist Helch left his mark all over Shoreditch and beyond

Anyone with even a passing interest in street art will instantly recognise Helch’s strikingly simple tag.Wandering the streets of Shoreditch, it’s impossible not to spot “HELCH” - or a simple “H” - emblazoned on walls, underneath railway bridges and on billboards.Helch’s artworks have also been viewed by millions driving under motorway bridges that bear his unmistakeable stylised tag. His death was announced at the weekend by BSMT gallery in Dalston, which hosted the artist’s first-ever solo exhibition show in 2025. The gallery wrote online: "Receiving news today of the untimely passing of Helch has left us broken hearted. It felt like he stepped into our lives out of the ether."Prompted by a moment of revelation standing outside of the American Carwash in Shoreditch - a triumph of roller graffiti and an East London landmark - I was so drawn to the enigma and mystery of the word I had to find out more."It took six months to get him to agree to meet in person, and in 2022 we released his first print which sold out within the hour."A stranger to the gallery world Helch was a true creature of the night, it's where he found his vocation and the gallery walls were not always what it was about for him. We often had to recalibrate what this meant as we worked together.Read More"Over the past year his work progressed exponentially, he was coming into his own as an artist. A true perfectionist - he wouldn't present anything that wasn't to his standard and it was an honour to witness."An urban landscape without an H in it seems unfathomable. A life unlike any other, he was compelled to leave his mark on this world. There will never be another like him. Rest well H- your rollers have spoken their truth."Shoreditch appears to have been one of Helch’s principle canvases. It’s easy to lose count of them as you stroll through the streets of the east London neighbourhood. Helch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardHelch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardHelch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardHelch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardHelch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardHelch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardHelch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardHelch tag in ShoreditchThe StandardBut Helch didn’t just leave his mark in EC2.The mysterious artist rose to prominence thanks to a string of tags on motorway bridges, including on the M25, the M3 and the M4.In 2018, he sparked controversy by painting a tag on the side of the Chalfont viaduct over the M25, north-west of London.The reason it upset people was because it replaced a popular piece of graffiti, which had been there for many years, which read GIVE PEAS A CHANCE.It was turned into GIVE HELCH A BREAK - sparking a petition to have the original one restored.One also appeared on the side of another viaduct close to Windsor Castle. The Sun reported unnamed royal source as saying: "The Queen was extremely upset."