Over forty years since its release, Charlie Ahearn’s Wild Style continues to stand as the most influential hip hop film ever made. Directed by Charlie Ahearn and released in 1983, the film captured the raw energy of graffiti, breakdancing, MCing and DJing in New York at a time when the world had yet to take notice. More than four decades later, the story continues to evolve. At Woodbury House in Mayfair this autumn, Charlie Ahearn will present his first London solo exhibition of original works inspired by Wild Style, reimagining its iconic visual language on canvas.

Ahead of the opening, an exclusive conversation between Charlie Ahearn and Steven offers rare insight into the mind of the filmmaker and artist. It is a dialogue that not only revisits the past but also brings new clarity to why Wild Style still resonates with such force today.

When Wild Style was first released, it was more than just a film. It was the first authentic portrayal of a new culture being born in the streets of New York — a culture that fused music, dance, and visual expression into something entirely new. For graffiti artists such as Lee Quinones, it provided a stage that had never previously existed; for audiences worldwide, it opened a window onto a world that felt electric, rebellious and alive.

In the conversation, Charlie Ahearn reflects on how the film was never intended to be a slick commercial project, but a grassroots collaboration. It was created with the very people whose lives it documented — artists, DJs, dancers and MCs — which gave it an authenticity that no outsider could replicate. That collaborative spirit, Charlie Ahearn explains, is what made the film endure, and what continues to inspire him as he moves from the lens to the canvas.

The Woodbury House exhibition marks an important transition in Charlie Ahearn’s creative journey. While he is best known for his film work, the new collection sees him reinterpret Wild Style through paint, colour and form. Rather than recreating scenes from the film, these works reimagine the energy, rhythm and visual codes that defined it. In doing so, Charlie Ahearn bridges the gap between cinema and fine art, offering collectors a chance to own pieces that capture not just the imagery of an era, but its atmosphere.

In conversation, Charlie Ahearn explains that painting gives him a different kind of freedom. Whereas film is bound by time, narrative and collaboration, painting allows him to distil moments into powerful standalone images. These works carry the immediacy of graffiti, the vitality of hip hop, and the layered history of a movement that went on to reshape global culture.

The enduring significance of Wild Style is underscored by its forthcoming 4K restoration, which will premiere at this year’s London Film Festival. For the first time, audiences will be able to experience the film in a form that honours its original vibrancy, with every spray-painted wall, every turntable scratch, and every subway car brought to life in unprecedented detail.

The restoration is more than a technical upgrade. It signals the recognition of Wild Style as a piece of cinema history worthy of preservation, standing alongside the great cultural artefacts of the late twentieth century. The fact that the film is being celebrated on the big screen at such a prestigious festival in the same season as the Woodbury House exhibition is no coincidence. It speaks to the film’s continuing relevance and its ability to inspire across generations.

While Wild Style cemented Charlie Ahearn’s name in cinema, his contributions to visual art have also found a home in some of the world’s most respected galleries. His work has been included in exhibitions at the James Fuentes Gallery, and most recently at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in 2023, which celebrated forty years of Wild Style with a group showcase featuring notable artists including Lee Quiñones, KAWS, Futura, and Dondi White. His pieces have also featured in Beyond The Streets, the landmark exhibition series that has travelled internationally, including its celebrated run at London’s Saatchi Gallery, where Charlie Ahearn’s presence affirmed his importance within the lineage of graffiti and hip hop culture.

These inclusions are not incidental. They demonstrate how Charlie Ahearn’s work, rooted in the streets and communities of New York, has achieved recognition within the highest levels of the art establishment. For collectors, they provide reassurance that the works being unveiled at Woodbury House are part of a significant and validated artistic journey.

For collectors, this convergence of events — the release of the 4K restoration and the unveiling of Charlie Ahearn’s first London exhibition — represents a rare opportunity. The works on view at Woodbury House are not just paintings. They are cultural documents, rooted in one of the most important creative revolutions of our time. They provide direct access to a moment in history that shaped the trajectory of art, music and style across the globe.

Hearing Charlie Ahearn speak about his journey, it becomes clear that these works are about more than nostalgia. They are about reinvention, reinterpretation and relevance. Just as Wild Style gave voice to a generation in 1983, these paintings carry that same voice forward into the present, inviting new audiences and collectors to engage with its legacy in a fresh way. For serious collectors, this is a moment where film and art history converge — with works that may not surface again.

‘WILD STYLE’ by Charlie Ahearn will be on view from 26th September – 10th October 2025 at Woodbury House, 29 Sackville Street, Mayfair, London. This short-run exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see and acquire works from one of the most important cultural voices of the past half-century. With Charlie Ahearn in attendance, and Lee Quinones present for the London screening, it offers collectors an opportunity to view, visit and see first-hand notable works from the visionary that is Charlie Ahearn.

To experience Charlie Ahearn’s reflections in full, the exclusive conversation between Charlie Ahearn and Steven is now available to watch. It provides invaluable context to the works that will be on display, deepening the understanding of a film and an exhibition that stand as milestones in cultural history.