Jim Penfold, known as Penny (also known as Onepennypiece), is a British stencil artist renowned for his incredibly tiny and intricate works. After abandoning a successful career as a neurosurgeon, Penfold channelled his skills with a knife to create unique and meticulously detailed artworks. His pieces often adorn items as small as currency and postage stamps, displaying his mastery in hand-cutting extremely detailed stencils with remarkable precision.
Penny studied at Chelsea College of Art & Design and Central Saint Martins, quickly becoming a notable figure in London's urban art scene. His work is not only visually captivating but also deeply symbolic, conveying messages through the medium of stencil art. The use of everyday objects and overlooked ephemera, particularly currency, provides a meaningful backdrop for his art, allowing him to explore themes such as destabilised power structures, subverted concepts of wealth and value, and the intersection of pop culture with societal concepts of money and the state. Through these recurring motifs, Penny invites viewers to reflect on the complex relationship between art, money, and social structures.
