Artist spotlight: Maddy Butcher

Maddy’s goal is to see street art become less of a taboo subject in the UAE…

Maddy Butcher is one of UAE’s most popular street artists. Her creations can be seen all over the country at hotels, lounges, and art festivals. Originally from the UK, Maddy moved to the UAE from New York in 2011 in search of ‘more adventure’. She was working in advertising up until 2016, when she decided to solely focus on art.

“[In the UAE], everyone is free to go after every opportunity they find, without preconceptions,” she tells us. “It’s where I’ve grown as a person and grown to understand other nationalities and cultures that I would never have had the chance to in a city like New York.”

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Maddy Butcher

Maddy Butcher

Maddy Butcher

Maddy Butcher

Maddy Butcher

Since then, Maddy’s popularity has grown immensely, receiving requests for everything from private works to huge murals in public spaces. Colourful, abstract pieces make up her style as well as big, bold intricate portraits with energetic themes. But it’s not just the UAE that has fallen in love with Maddy’s creativity; her street art can be found across New York, London, Barcelona and even north India.

When we sit down to chat to her, Maddy clarifies that she is a street artist, not a graffiti artist. For most graffiti artists, Maddy Butcher anonymity is synonymous with their passion for the artform.

“When it comes to street art, it should be much more than a pretty picture outside on walls,” she tells us. “It has to react to and serve the place that it’s in to make it better.” While progress is moving in the right direction, Maddy’s goal is to see street art become less of a taboo subject in the UAE. She hopes to inspire women to start picking up spray paint cans to express themselves. “Graffiti is seen as a boy’s club and there’s truth in that, but street art should really be the equalizer,” she explains.