DAMIEN HIRST IS probably best known for his dead animals immersed in tanks of formalin, his artistic use of butterflies, and diamond encrusted skulls. Apart from these spectacular, provocative creations, he is a highly skilled, imaginative artist. An avid collector of modern and contemporary art, he has his own art gallery in Newport Street, which is close to London’s Lambeth Bridge. He uses this to display works in his collection as well as artworks he has made. Recently, his son Connor Hirst has been curating shows in his father’s Newport Street Gallery. Until 29 March 2026, there is an exhibition called “Triple Trouble”.

This exhibition displays works by Damien Hirst and two famous street artists: the American (USA) Shephard Fairey and Invader, a French person. Both street artists, each of whom was trained at an art school, began their street art careers with a single work: Invader in Paris with a pixellated depiction of a Space Invader, and Fairey with a sticker, the forerunner of his “Obey” posters. Street art is what some people might describe as unwanted graffiti, and others as public art. In a press release, Damien Hirst said that what he likes about these two artists is:

“…the way that these guys go out and get an audience. They just make their own audience in the streets and they don’t give a f**k (about permission), and they get a following and people believe in it and they get entertained by it.”

And Invader is quoted as having said (in an interview):

“You cannot imagine the thrill and magic of doing street art. You leave your mark on the city and on people’s lives. When I cross Paris I can see my work in every neighbourhood. It’s like using the city as a blank canvas.”

The exhibition at Newport Street includes creations by each of the three artists as well as collaborative works. The exhibits include paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mosaics made with plastic tiles that produce pixellated images. The resulting show is quite different to what one would usually expect to see in an art gallery: it is a visual spectacle, which you either love or hate. We loved seeing the exhibition.

One unusual aspect of the exhibition is that works that one would normally expect to see anywhere except in an art gallery are being displayed in in an art gallery. Damien Hirst, who does not do street art, wrote in the press release that he admires the talents of the two street artists, and found it surprisingly easy to collaborate with them while making artworks together.