'The Death of Bronson': New exhibition gives insight into the mind of 'Britain's most violent criminal'

The exhibition comes after Bronson changed his name to Charles Salvador in August

The exhibition will open in Hackney tomorrow (Charles Bronson)

Notorious criminal Charles Bronson is to exhibit a new collection of his artwork which, according to his fiancée, will help to end his violent public persona.

The exhibition, titled Death of Bronson, will open in Hackney’s Apiary Studio’s on Friday and Bronson’s wife-to-be, Loraine Etherington, has said she hopes it will mark a new chapter as an artist in the life of the man who has spent nearly four decades in prison.

Speaking to London Live’s Wake Up London this morning, Etherington said: “It is very dramatic exhibition.

“It signifies the end of Bronson, by that I mean the persona and the public image.

The new exhibition comes five months after Bronson, who is currently serving a life sentence, changed his name by deed poll to Charles Salvador, in homage to his favourite artist Salvador Dali.

Speaking in August about his name change, Bronson said “The old me dried up.”

“He had a good run. Never beaten. Kept his morals.... Come on, the boy done well. But he's finished. His time stopped ticking.

“It's now Salvador all the way to Disneyland. Your [sic] welcome to join the ride.”

And Etherington says that the new exhibition will help communicate this transition.

She said: “We felt this was a great way to tell the public, there is no more Bronson.”

Bronson was first arrested in 1974 for robbing a post office; however, his sentence was extended to life when he held a prison art teacher hostage for 44 hours for criticising one of his sketches.

This was one in a string of violent acts that have seen Bronson kept in solitary confinement for large parts of his sentence.

The exhibition will include a number of pieces of art and literature created by Bronson while in prison, with many documenting Bronson’s experiences and emotions during his four decades incarcerated.

Etherington said: “Charlie also does some artwork that is more colourful and softer images that are not widely shown, but obviously he is more predominantly known for the prison images and asylum images that really make up the artist he is.”

During his time in prison, Bronson has become a prolific artist and writer, publishing 15 books and selling his work in galleries across London for as much as £1,000.

‪The Death of Bronson is open to the public at Apiary Studios, E2 9EG until 22 January 2015, 11am - 6pm every day.