Artist who worked with Banksy opens Folkestone display

An artist who previously worked with Banksy has opened a "pop-up shop" in Folkestone.

Pure Evil, real name Charles Uzzell-Edwards, opened his Welcome, Machine Overlords! display in the Kent town.

The Welsh artist worked with Banksy in London and has had his art displayed the world over.

About half of the profits from the sales will go to the Fourth Wall gallery which donates its proceeds to local causes.

Talking to BBC Radio Kent, Mr Uzzell-Edwards explained he ended up working with Banksy by being in "the right place at the right time".

It was snowing in London when he had walked into a show Banksy was doing on Oxford Street, called Santa's Ghetto. He remembers being asked: "Do you need any work? Because we need some help."

Alongside his work with Banksy, Mr Uzzell-Edwards has opened two Pure Evil galleries in East London.

Mr Uzzell-Edwards said people do not expect him to be sitting in a gallery with his name on the door.

"They would expect me to be hiding in the shadows. So, to come out of the shadows is a nice way of doing things," he said.

The artist added that while he understands Banksy's want for anonymity, he is "totally fine" with people knowing his identity.

Mr Uzzell-Edwards ended up in the seaside town after his wife bought a flat there - he was initially "annoyed" at the purchase as he had never been to Folkestone.

That changed after he took a walk up the high street and he "realised there's this real, booming artist community" in the town.

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