A ground-breaking exhibition of street art, The Outsiders Melbourne, has opened to the public on the corner of Flinders Lane and Hosier Lane – the street art hub of Melbourne.
This world premiere exhibition, which features highlights drawn from The Sandrew Collection, celebrates artists defying the art establishment. Over the past 15 years, Sandra Powell and Andrew King have amassed the largest collection of street art in Australia, including the largest collection of Banksy artworks in the country.
The pair – collectively referred to as ‘Sandrew’ – are renowned for their ongoing support of street art. They have curated exhibitions at home and abroad and are passionate in their advocacy of street art. Open to the public for the first time, The Outsiders Melbourne reveals an insider’s view of fabulous, iconic and rare works from this acclaimed private collection.
The exhibition will open with over 100 works by street artists, including locals Rone, Adnate, Vexta, Kaff-eine, Fintan Magee, Sofles and MEGGS, as well as internationals such as Banksy, Barry McGee, Vhils, Invader, Swoon, Hush, Shepard Fairey, Ron English and ELLE.
Highlights will include an entire room of Banksy artworks, featuring a new work, Firewall, seen for the first time in Australia; Matt Adnate’s Echoes of a Teenage Superstar, his portrait of Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns, a finalist in the 2023 Archibald Prize; and a never-before-seen canvas by Rone, titled Badlands.
Also on display will be various works by the world’s most accredited female street artist, Swoon; Shepard Fairey’s portrait His Holiness, the Dalai Lama; Ron English’s masterpiece, Kiss and Make Up; E.L.K’s portrait of Saul Williams, which won Australia’s inaugural Stencil Art Prize; and a magnificent, important painting by Barry McGee, painted circa 1990.
“For the past 15 years, Andrew and I have been obsessed with street art. We see ourselves as ambassadors for this exciting art movement,” said Sandra. “As well as advising and helping promote these talented artists, we have been very actively collecting their studio work.”
“We are very proud to have curated a world-class art collection, and to have the opportunity to share it with the public is a dream come true,” said Sandra.
“These artists are outsiders; they flourish outside the constraints of the established art world. Like the magnificent laneways of Melbourne, the walls of The Outsiders Melbourne will surprise, challenge and amuse,” says Andrew King.
“Sandrew have been champions of Melbourne’s street-art community for over a decade. Unmatched in their commitment, enthusiasm and ability to bring the movement to a wider audience, they continue to educate and inspire a passion for all things street art,” says acclaimed street artist, Rone.
Alongside the exhibition, additional programming will activate the space, with further details to be announced in 2025.
The Outsiders Melbourne
Corner of 167 Flinders Lane and Hosier Lane, Melbourne
Exhibition continues to 25 May 2025
Free entry
For more information, visit: www.theoutsidersmelbourne.com for details.
Images: Adnate, Echoes of a Teenage Superstar, 2022. Sandrew | Banksy, Laugh Now, 2003. Sandrew | Sandra Powell and Andrew King – photo by Shannyn Higgins