By Mina Hanson
Halcyon Gallery is famous for its exhibitions featuring renowned and emerging artists. From Andy Warhol to Bob Dylan, it has made a name for itself for displaying contemporary artwork in all its facets. Now, on 13 October 2026, it opened its doors to the self-titled exhibition, Johnny Depp. Depp is a globally known figure, recognised for his acting credits; however, this autumn's opening introduces art enthusiasts and admirers of Depp to his many creations over the years. This is the artist's first major exhibition of original artworks in the UK.
Depp offers not just an intimate look at his vast number of paintings, but the exhibition also offers a fascinating, kaleidoscope-like peek into the artist's mind's eye of the world, the art he creates, and how the two marry together.
The Exhibition
Inside the gallery, the even light instantly brings the paintings to the forefront. Your eyes are drawn to an array of paintings from Depp's collection. We're introduced to Depp's works at the front of the gallery, where Bucket, the largest painting of the exhibition, is displayed. It is a simple image of the bucket on a rich red background. The piece narrates a picture of Depp's brushwork style on a macro scale.
Continuing on the top floor, you will find much of the wall space occupied by Depp's Yesterday's Flowers. One of the pieces on display shows us the emerging red roses on a deep rouge background. The flowers appear to grow larger and larger in the wild formation that is nature. The striking use of red on red is a romantic one, drawing you into the image.
This is a recurring series that has become one of Depp's principal motifs. The origin behind the works sets out to capture the essence and emotion garnered from receiving a cherished item, holding onto it, and preserving it in its truest form rather than allowing time to wilt its fervour. His passion and commitment to this theme may remind us of Van Gogh and his dedication to capturing and recapturing nature, particularly flowers, again and again, similarly using both playful and vibrant colours.
"Yesterday's flowers should be just as important as when they arrived." – Johnny Depp, quotation from a video projection shown at Halcyon Gallery as part of the Johnny Depp exhibition
The Bunnyman
The self-explanatory piece of an anthropomorphic rabbit-man has now become a symbol of the artist, as he is depicted continuously through many of Depp's pieces. The exhibition displays a large white bronze sculpture of The Bunnyman at the far end of the room, revolving as one of the principal pieces on display.
Depp has depicted the figure as one of continual guidance and protection. Armed with a sword, the creature serves as an intermediary between imagination and reality.
Over the years, Depp has experimented with many different styles and art forms for his pieces, incorporating the use of a multitude of various media and processes, such as paint on canvas, collage, sculpture, paper rolling and silk screening.
Self-Portrait
Depp's self-portraits throughout his artistic career take on many forms and aspects. The works of the artist currently on display at Halcyon have a particular interest in the reimagining of the self, as opposed to the exact likeness one might find in a photograph, something the artist has expressed curiosity in veering away from.
Depp's self-portraits offer us a vulnerable perspective and an interesting contrast to the rest of the works at the exhibition. The combination of black and aura-like teal that surrounds the face in the piece carries a quiet, morose state that echoes Picasso and his famous Blue Period.
Downstairs, in the latter portion of the exhibition, the tone is noticeably more solemn, in a dimly lit room decorated with various memorabilia and accoutrements; this offers us a window into the artist's studio, with easels and art cabinets incorporated into the space. Scribblings and sketches are dotted about the walls among other miscellaneous items, almost like having one artfully empty the contents of their pockets into a room and thus giving us a glimpse into the otherwise ordinary comforts of a person that quietly outline some of the parts of who they are. Many of the artworks displayed are sketches and scribblings, showcasing further portraits of close friends, personal heroes and even some imagined figures.
A seven-minute video projection of the artist can be found downstairs, discussing his painting style and thought process. We get a candid look at the inception of his pieces.
Johnny Depp is, without a doubt, widely recognised within the film industry, and this certainly will draw in fans from all over the world. However, the exhibition itself can be likened to the memoirs of a man and his art, which many will not be aware is not a new venture by any means. The extensive display of works truly details a lifelong relationship Depp has with the art world.
"Time passes, light changes. But some things, the most meaningful things, endure." – Johnny Depp, wall text from the exhibition
The Gallery
Halcyon Gallery is on New Bond Street, in the heart of central London. It opened at the address in the spring of 2023, but its history goes back further: it was founded in 1982 in Birmingham by Paul Green, who wanted a space for modern and contemporary art with a particular interest in emerging artists. Its walls have since shown Warhol, Picasso, James McQueen and Hockney, and the Pop Odyssey exhibition of summer 2026 carried that same argument about popular culture into the present.
Johnny Depp made his art debut in 2022, with his first collection, Friends and Heroes, launched through the Castle Fine Art network in London. Later, what some consider to be his most significant showcase was his Bunch of Stuff exhibition, which debuted in New York in 2024 at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in West Chelsea and is currently at the Modern Art Museum in Shanghai until 13 December 2026.
Johnny Depp's exhibition is a fitting home at Halcyon Gallery, as his artworks place neatly within the gallery's hall of fame of innovative and imaginative pieces. What Depp and so many other artists whose art has been displayed here all seem to have in common is the idea of putting imagination onto canvas in the most spectacular way.
You should venture down to Halcyon Gallery if you are particularly interested in contemporary new works.
Information on the Gallery and Exhibition
Halcyon Gallery, 148 New Bond St, London W1S 2TR (Flagship)
The exhibition runs from Tuesday 13 October 2026 to 15 November 2026.
Image credits: Halcyon Gallery
