A new show brings together three artists whose work has created instantly recognizable visual systems that rely on repetition, symbols, and cultural icons. While two are rooted in unsanctioned work in public space and the third is identified with the gallery and market system, all three have generated debates about art’s role in mass culture and have extended their practices into new contexts through collaboration.

Shepard Fairey (US) began in the late 1980s with his Obey Giant sticker campaign and became widely known for his 2008 Hope poster for Barack Obama. His work blends graphic design, propaganda aesthetics, and pop culture, often described as politically engaged and connected to punk and DIY culture. Fairey maintains a long-standing commitment to public space through posters, murals, and interventions, while also working in galleries and commercial arenas worldwide.

Invader (France) began in the late 1990s and is known for his prolific and, some would say criptic, ceramic mosaic “invasions” of pixelated characters installed on city walls. His work is described as playful, systematic, and grounded in both nostalgia and the strategies of street art, with thousands of pieces spread worldwide with a marketing panache that rivals the other two show men here. Invader’s practice is fundamentally based in unsanctioned public interventions, making urban space his primary exhibition surface.

Damien Hirst (UK) rose to prominence in the late 1980s and 1990s as part of the so-called Young British Artists, a term that is evergreen and could easily be applied today or any day, but that is a different story. His work spans installation, painting, and sculpture, often addressing themes of mortality, spectacle, and the value of art in the market. Overlapping his show mates practices, Hirst has created large-scale outdoor sculptures and commissioned public displays, but unlike Fairey and Invader, his practice is not rooted in unsanctioned public space and is primarily mediated through institutions and collectors.

Triple Trouble underscores both the divergence and overlap in the practices of Fairey, Hirst, and Invader. Fairey and Invader bring decades of direct engagement with unsanctioned public space, and Hirst’s influence has been shaped through institutional and market frameworks, yet all three employ systems of repetition and iconic imagery that reach wide audiences. By staging collaborative works one may examine the point where street culture, contemporary art, and mass media converge. Conceptually the theme stretches each to meet the other, and in the process, clears new ground for experimentation – while illustrating the individual practice in stronger relief

Newport Street Gallery in London, in association with HENI, presents Triple Trouble (10 October 2025 – 29 March 2026), an exhibition of new collaborative works by Shepard Fairey, Damien Hirst, and Invader.

Exhibition Details:

Title: Triple Trouble

Dates: 10 October 2025 – 29 March 2026

Location: Newport Street Gallery, London

Opening hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am-6 pm

Address: Newport Street Gallery, Newport Street, London

SE11 6AJ

Admission: Free