TORBAY WEEKLY | Do you know somewhere Szabotage can leave his mark?

World renowned street artis Gustav Szabo, better known as Szabotage, who recently moved to Preston, the birthplace of his wife Hannah, is searching for a blank canvas to recognise the area. His distinctive work in various formats, including walls, canvases, prints, sculptures, stencils and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), appear around the world and are all characterised by his distinctive Koi

tag.

Originally from Brighton, he trained as an architect and designer and went on to work in London before moving to Hong Kong. His work quickly achieved notoriety with sold out exhibitions and commercial commissions from iconic brands such as Prada and Louis Vuitton. He has also worked in Thailand and had exhibitions in Singapore, but now he is living in Preston he has turned his attention to Torbay with a series of works collectively called ‘Torbaydos’ with brightly coloured canvases featuring Torquay, Paignton and Preston.

One of his next works will be on the Torbay Community Café in Temperance Street in Torquay, but he and Hannah have turned to Torbay Communities Preston Community Builder Christine Durrant for help finding a suitable site in Preston. “We are looking for a really big wall in the heart of Preston so that we give the town its own signature,“ said Hannah, before adding, “Brixham has its fishing, Torquay has its tourists and Paignton is in the middle, and we want to give it its own identity.”

Hannah and Gustav They are working with Artizan Gallery and looking for support from The community partnership and local residents to make it happen. Gustav has been seeking inspiration for the work since he arrived in Paignton and some familiar motifs such as ice cream cones, seagulls, fish and chips, beach huts and dog walking are just some of those he has mentally collected so far. “I can see the beauty in my surroundings wherever I am. Paignton and Preston have their own highlights, which gives me a fresh energy for my work,“ he said. “People are rightly proud of where they come from and I want to show that in my work. This area has a lot to boast about, which will be reflected in this mural.”