Ben (1963) Wilson Sold at Auction Prices

b. 1963 -

Ben Wilson, also known as Chewing Gum Man, is an outsider and street artist best known for the miniature paintings he creates on chewing gum waste stuck to London pavements.

Ben Wilson, born in Cambridge in 1963, has been painstakingly painting upon discarded chewing gum in London full time since 2004. Wilson’s technique involves super-heating the gum with a blow torch, spraying it with lacquer, applying enamel and then, using tiny brushes, creating a tiny image before sealing the gum with a final layer of clear lacquer. Wilson estimates that he has painted thousands of pieces of gum around London. Notably, Wilson has painted many pieces along the Millennium Bridge across the Thames. The highest concentration of his work may be found in Muswell Hill where he lives.