ARTIST FOCUS | DARRELL WYNNE aka SOAP

In Derby, you don’t have to look far to spot the work of Darrell Wynne, better known by his tag, SOAP. Big, bold and unapologetically loud, his pieces interrupt the everyday with colour, humour and a sharp nod to pop culture and branding. Where others see a blank wall, SOAP sees opportunity. Where commuters see another grey morning, he sees a canvas waiting to inject “nutrients of colour and happiness”.

Originally born and raised in Derby, SOAP now calls Long Eaton home. For the past three years he has positioned himself between Derby and Nottingham, building a following on both sides of the border. “It’s an amazing place here,” he says. “The world’s your oyster when it comes to getting your name and pieces out as there’s no one else actually painting here.”

That positioning matters. Derby gave him his roots. Nottingham expanded his reach. Together, they’ve shaped an artist whose work now stretches far beyond the East Midlands, with pieces in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and even across Europe.

A Busy Brain with No Pigeon Holes

Ask SOAP to define his style and he won’t give you a neat, boxed answer. “I’m a spraycan artist with a very busy brain. I never like to pigeon hole myself when it comes to style. I could be 10 different artists in one person’s body.”

That restless creativity is exactly what makes his work so distinctive. He’s widely recognised for his pop art pin-ups, bold in scale and punchy in colour, but he’s equally at home with graffiti lettering, portraits, stencils and interactive concepts laced with humour or nostalgia. There’s always an idea beneath the surface. Often, it’s a clever twist on branding or a pop culture reference that stops you mid-step.

His pieces aren’t subtle. They aren’t meant to be. They’re designed to command attention, dominate space and reframe the environment around them.

The Abandoned Brick Yard Beginning

SOAP’s origin story is pure Derby. Eight years ago, he would head down to an old abandoned brick yard to play guitar, avoiding the risk of annoying the neighbours. It was there he watched other writers at work, including local talents like Posea, Timo and Aona.

“I got watching other artists, asked questions and thought why not give it a go myself. Here I am eight years later with no plans of ever stopping.”

That curiosity turned into commitment. What started as watching from the sidelines became a relentless pursuit of craft. And that pursuit has taken him from local walls to festival stages and national press coverage.

Teaching the Next Generation

One of his standout moments didn’t happen on a city wall but in a forest school at a music festival in Wales. There, SOAP taught graffiti to more than 50 children.

“It was just so rewarding to see the enjoyment and freedom to express something they have never had the chance to do before in a controlled safe environment that won’t get them into trouble.”

That balance between rebellion and responsibility is central to his ethos. Graffiti has its roots in disruption, but SOAP understands the power of channelled creativity. Giving young people the tools and the space to experiment safely isn’t just about art. It’s about confidence and self-expression.

Recognition has followed too. He’s appeared on the news multiple times and featured in over 15 newspapers and magazines. For an artist who once sold possessions just to afford paint, that validation carries weight.

The Grind Behind the Glamour

The graffiti scene can be brutal. SOAP doesn’t romanticise it. “When I first started out I used to sell anything I had to buy paint to do a piece that may only last a week.”

That’s the reality many don’t see. Hours of work, often temporary, funded by personal sacrifice. “It can be a very dog eat dog world in the graff scene, but that’s a part of the culture and you have to lean into it and just keep creating. The time you’ve spent crying over your last piece, you can be out there creating a new one.”

There’s resilience in that mindset. Paint over mistakes. Start again. Keep moving. It’s a philosophy that stretches beyond walls.

Influences: From Street to Renaissance

SOAP’s inspirations span continents and centuries. Locally, he credits Posea as “the main man” and Timo as someone who pushes him to improve. Internationally, he draws from the bold pop sensibilities of D*Face and Roy Lichtenstein.

But perhaps most surprisingly, he’s a self-confessed history nerd with a deep love for Renaissance art. That influence is more literal than you might think. At the time of speaking, he was preparing to paint a full Renaissance-style ceiling for a customer. “Gonna have it looking like Chatsworth House,” he laughs.

That fusion of classical composition and street energy is part of what sets his work apart. It’s graffiti with historical depth. Pop art with painterly ambition.

Evolution Through Colour and Repetition

Technically, SOAP has levelled up through colour. “Before I’d only have one shade in the bag. Now I have 10 shades of each colour which lets you get more depth in your work.”

Depth, layering and muscle memory are the results of relentless repetition. “Only time and constant amount of painting gets you where you want to be. But every day is still a school day.”

It’s that humility that keeps the work fresh. No matter how many walls he’s painted, there’s always something to learn.

Placement Is Everything

Over the colder months, SOAP has been “stacking ammo of designs” ready for the year ahead. For him, placement is everything. The right piece has to meet the right wall at the right moment.

That thoughtfulness explains why his work feels integrated rather than imposed. His murals don’t just sit on surfaces. They respond to them.

Breaking the Grey

At its heart, SOAP’s mission is simple. He wants to disrupt the monotony. “The chance to break up that same boring journey to work every day or dinner break where my work is the last thing that imprints in their mind and fills it with nutrients of colour and happiness before they’re back to the grind. We don’t want a grey world.”

In Derby and Nottingham, his pieces do exactly that. They challenge the visual dullness of urban life. They inject personality into overlooked corners. They spark conversations.

For those who know the streets, spotting a new SOAP piece feels like finding treasure.

Where to Find SOAP

If you’re walking through Derby, Nottingham or Long Eaton, keep your eyes open. He describes it as “leaving a little sprinkle of magic” around the area. Beyond the East Midlands, his work has reached Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Europe.

Online, you can follow his journey on Instagram at @Soapspray90, where new pieces, works in progress and commissioned projects regularly appear.

Advice for Aspiring Artists

SOAP’s final words are for those just starting out.

“Remember your hands are not yet trained enough so don’t get disheartened straight away. Paint always goes over paint. You’ve always got a bag of rubbers. Just let it dry and go back at it. Do it, do it, do it and do it again until it drives you nuts. Then you will be rewarded. And the most important thing, have love for what you do. If you’re doing it to please others and not yourself first, your journey will be cut off short. Have fun.”

That’s the spirit that runs through his work. Persistence. Playfulness. Passion.

And as long as Derby’s walls keep turning grey, you can bet SOAP will be there with a spray can, ready to colour them back in.

Topics