Charlie Ahearn (b. 1951) Art For Sale - Woodbury House
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Charlie Ahearn (b. 1951)

Artist & Filmmaker

Charlie Ahearn attended the Independent Studio Program at the Whitney Museum in 1973. An artist and filmmaker, he has since the 1970s created dramatic films that reflect New York street culture, beginning with his Super 8 kung fu movie The Deadly Art of Survival (1978).

In June 1980, he participated in The Times Square Show, where he met Fred Brathwaite and the legendary subway artist Lee Quiñones — a meeting that led to Ahearn directing the seminal hip hop classic Wild Style (1983).

Ahearn’s Artist Portrait videos include Martin Wong (1998), Jane in Peepland (with Jane Dickson, 1993), and the feature documentary Jamel Shabazz Street Photographer (2012). His musical shorts include Bongo Barbershop (2005), starring Grandmaster Caz, and Dancing Industry (2014), filmed with The SoSoGlos on the Q train.

Throughout his career, he has remained deeply connected to hip hop culture, making films such as New York City Hip Hop Convention (MC battle, 1980), 5 Grand Masters (B-boy battle, 2014), and the experimental “slideshow, video, radio, movie” Rammellzee in the Battle Station (1995/2020).

Alongside filmmaking, Ahearn has consistently worked as a photographer, artist, and painter. He presented an exhibition of videos and paintings at PPOW in 2017 and participated in Beyond the Streets in Los Angeles (2018), New York (2019), and London’s Saatchi Gallery (2023). In 2023, he also exhibited paintings in the Wild Style 40 group show at Jeffrey Deitch’s Wooster Street gallery in New York.

In 2025, Charlie Ahearn will present his first solo painting exhibition at Woodbury House Gallery, London, running from 26th September to 10th October.

Ahearn has lived and worked in New York City since 1973.

Charlie
Ahearn (b. 1951)

“MOST PEOPLE KNOW ME AS A FILMMAKER, BUT I’VE ALWAYS BEEN A PAINTER. SEEING THIS BODY OF WORK TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IS DEEPLY MOVING, AS THESE PAINTINGS REFLECT MY COMMITMENT TO HIP-HOP HISTORY AND TO THE ORIGINATORS OF THIS CULTURE.”

Source: Charlie Ahearn.

Charlie Ahearn: An Exclusive Conversation on ‘WILD STYLE’

Wild Style is the film that changed everything. Released in 1983, Charlie Ahearn’s masterpiece captured the birth of hip hop, graffiti, breakdancing, and DJ culture in New York — and went on to influence art, music, and style across the globe.

In this exclusive conversation with Steven, Charlie Ahearn takes us on a journey from the very beginning through to the present day. He reflects on the making of Wild Style, its cultural legacy, and how its energy continues to shape his work as an artist.

The discussion traces his path from filmmaker to painter, with his works featured at Jeffrey Deitch, James Fuentes, and the landmark Beyond The Streets exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery. Looking ahead, Charlie reveals what it means to see Wild Style reborn in a brand-new 4K restoration premiering at the London Film Festival on October 8th, and how his upcoming solo exhibition at Woodbury House, Mayfair (26th September – 10th October 2025) celebrates all things Wild Style. This is more than an interview — it’s an essential insight into the story of a film, an artist, and a movement that redefined culture.

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