Saturday
Nov012025
The Real Hackney Dave 'The Slopes Are Always A Good Idea' Print Available
Saturday, November 1, 2025 
Artist: The Real Hackney Dave
Title: Ibiza Is Always A Good Idea
Medium: Framed One Color on Giclee Print
Size: Framed 41 x 33 Inches
Edition: 195
Price: $2,350
The Real Hackney Dave is the flamboyant working alias of Dave Buonaguidi, a British artist whose career began in the high pressure world of advertising and mutated into a love affair with print, paint and public space. Born in 1967 and raised in Peterborough, he studied graphic design at Camberwell College of Arts, then spent two decades as an award-winning creative director at London agency St Luke’s.
Working from a light filled studio in Margate, Buonaguidi builds textured surfaces by pushing acrylic and aerosol through coarse linen mesh, then attacks the results with sandpaper, wire brushes and even power hoses. The process reveals ghost images beneath the surface, creating works that feel both weather beaten and freshly born. His palette leans toward maritime blues, sunbleached reds and storm cloud greys, colours that echo the Kent coastline outside his window.
Typography plays a central role. Snippets of overheard conversation, half-remembered song lyrics and advertising slogans appear in bold, distressed letterforms that float across the canvas like fragments of urban noise. Recent series feature vintage postcards of British seaside towns, overprinted with urgent questions about identity, belonging and the passage of time.
Commercial clients including Nike, Levi’s and the BBC have commissioned his distinctive style, yet Buonaguidi remains committed to independent projects. He co-founded the print studio and gallery St Jude’s, championing other artists who share his belief in raw, imperfect beauty. Workshops and talks allow him to spread the gospel of creative risk, encouraging participants to embrace mistakes as portals to originality.
Whether printing on salvaged wood, hand torn paper or sections of old sailcloth, Buonaguidi treats every surface as a conversation between intention and chance. The result is work that feels alive, honest and unafraid to show its scars.
