WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING... OBEY ART SPACE LOS ANGELES 'this heaven has bars'

This past Friday, we celebrated the opening of “Middle Distance”, an exhibition by Ryan Hawaii. Much love to everyone who came through.This body of work explores Hawaii’s ongoing engagement with spiritual themes. A central motif is the eye, an allegory for life itself: the centre symbolising existence, while the chambers on either side embody “before life” and “afterlife.” Life, suspended between these two realms, becomes the “middle distance”, a space filled with its rich spectrum of experiences, both positive and negative.Another key theme is the transcendence of place. Through paintings and drawings, Hawaii takes viewers on a journey across physical and mental landscapes, transporting from Cuba to Morocco to London, and into the surrealist territories of his dreams. These subconscious spaces form yet another “middle distance,” bridging reality and abstraction.The exhibition reflects Hawaii’s long-standing connection to Amsterdam, which is also a “middle distance” between London and the Rhode Island streets were OBEY was born. The show serves as a the platform for Hawaii’s meeting of the minds with legendary founder Shepard Fairey.The exhibition runs until 31st October. OBEY Art Space Amsterdam | Runstraat, 25A special thank you to Kruz Leone and Styn for the fierce energy and music.Cheers Peroni + Viper for providing the beverages.Captured by Aryan Hamrani.

Why would I want to collaborate on an exhibition with Invader and Damien Hirst? I’ve long respected both artists because they are intelligent, conceptual, and relentless in their singular creative visions. “Obsessive” might be too mild a description to convey their drive, focus, and prodigious output. I can relate to them. I also admire risk-takers and troublemakers who can withstand condescending, impolite jabs from supposedly polite society. Those qualities inspired me to collaborate with them even though our aesthetics have no natural overlap or compatibility. A clash of styles in collaboration is a risk worth taking, and creativity can solve almost all problems. Malcolm McLaren once told me, “A glorious failure is better than a boring success.” So, with that as a guiding principle, what could possibly go wrong? – ShepardNewport Street Gallery, in association with HENI, presents Triple Trouble, an exhibition uniting three disruptive artists: Shepard Fairey, Damien Hirst, and Invader. Opening October 10th, this unprecedented show, curated by Connor Hirst, will feature a dynamic mix of individual works alongside bold new collaborations, many of which will be revealed to the public for the very first time.Join us for the opening event on Thursday, October 9th from 6pm – 8pm at Newport Street Gallery. Everyone is welcome, and no RSVP is required.Exhibition Details
Opening event: Thursday 9 October, 6pm–8pm
Exhibition dates: 10 October–29 March 2026Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am–6pm
Address: Newport Street Gallery, Newport Street, London SE11 6AJ
Admission: Free entry

Ryan Hawaii is a multidisciplinary artist from Catford, South East London, known for his work in fashion, visual art, and music. His work is defined by bold, hand-painted designs that blend punk aesthetics with personal and spiritual narratives.He began by customizing T-shirts for performances with his music collective Neverland Clan, which quickly evolved into a wider practice of fashion design, painting, and music production. His clothing pieces are often one-of-a-kind, featuring expressive illustrations and text that challenge societal norms and encourage self-expression.  His garments are often created bespoke for the wearer & some notable collaborators include: Kanye West, Skepta, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Gorillaz, Goldlink, Poppy Ajudah, Lancey, Ray Fuego & Virgil Abloh amongst others. For Ryan, garments are not simply fashion items but wearable artworks, with the wearer completing the piece by bringing it into the world. His cross-disciplinary approach continues to push boundaries, staying true to his DIY ethos that connects with a broad and diverse community.This spirit made a collaboration with OBEY a natural fit. Ryan will present a solo exhibition at the OBEY Art Space in Amsterdam, where he will showcase both fine art and one-of-a-kind OBEY pieces, including exclusive screen-printed tees available only at the Amsterdam flagship store. Through this body of work, Ryan explores spirituality by transforming complex ideas into simple, universal symbols. These symbols, alongside “Eyeman,” a recurring character central to his practice, run throughout the collection, embodying his ongoing search for meaning and connection.Exhibition: Oct 10 – Oct 31Opening event: Oct 10 6 – 10 pmOBEY Art SpaceRunstraat 25, Amsterdam

Ginger Boy is a proud Coachella Valley native who grew up repping OBEY. His windmill tattoo pays tribute to the “Power Up Windmill” t-shirt he got in 7th grade, featuring artwork from Shepard Fairey’s 2009 “Clean Energy for America.” Seeing a brand as iconic as OBEY celebrate his hometown’s beauty and its iconic windmills left a lasting impression — and inspired him to make the image permanent.Filmed by @spaceboyuno

Last year when I met the crew at OBEY and we had our first meeting about me doing a campaign for Fall 2025, Delivery 2. The main question was, what do you want to shoot? The idea of being free and open to create is the most empowering feeling. We decided to hit the road and explore California blindly and that's what we roped ourselves into again. It's is all new clothes, models, locations and feeling but one thing stayed constant and that was the amazing crew that helped put this together. Take a ride through California with us through the vast mountains to the ranches of the low desert and all in-between. - Gem Hale for OBEY ClothingFall 25 Delivery Two

Last Friday, OBEY ART SPACE BERLIN hosted the opening of its latest show - TRUE FEELINGS - a group photo exhibition, featuring works by Hannes Gade, Sarah Zak, Miriam Marlene and Daan Dam.@sarah_likesprettygirls@hanneshrg@miriam_marlene@daantjedamageTo learn more about the artists visit the blog post here.A huge thanks to everyone who stopped by! The exhibition is on view until August 22nd, and is open on weekdays from 14:00 to 18:00 OBEY ART SPACE BERLIN Inselstrasse 13, 10179 BerlinPhotos by Tillman Kerbe @___kusskuss___