Hayden Kays

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Blue Chip Artist

Hayden Kays often uses a fairly analogue approach to his work in retaliation to an increasingly digital artsphere.

Hayden's work is both inspired by the canons set out by 1950s Pop Artists and a quest to subvert them.

Hayden is known for his notoriously razor sharp witticisms and brazen imagery, both of which comment on society, politics and culture at large.

Part of a new generation of rising Pop Artists, Hayden Kays is one of London’s most exciting and provocative craftsmen of our times. He specialises in painting, sculpture and printmaking, and is known for his notoriously razor sharp witticisms and brazen imagery, both of which comment on the contemporary cultural landscape.

Early Career and Approach

Hayden discovered his passion for art at a very early age and pursued a degree in Fine Art in the UK. He has since been lauded as the ‘YBAs’ heir for the street art generation’ for bridging the gap between contemporary street art and traditional visual culture. Through his work, Hayden reveals that how we judge art and culture today is indissolubly linked to, if not haunted by, ghosts of the past. His popular pieces such as street art print A Man Of Colour (2017) stand out for their simultaneous appreciation of the canons founded by 1950s Pop Artists and their attempt to subvert them.

Hayden Kays’ Style

While Hayden is classically trained, his approach is ruthlessly modern. Hayden appropriates everyday references from the world around us as a response to and a rebellion against the cultural mainstream. Hayden manipulates and merges intertextual references, sardonic punchlines and bold colour schemes, as seen in the limited edition print I Dropped Acid Once and Never Found it Again, to compel the viewer to question what they see, kickstarting wider conversations about culture and society at large.

Global Success

Hayden has enjoyed international recognition for his work which has been exhibited at many prestigious galleries including the Royal Academy of Arts and Saatchi Gallery. His creations have been displayed alongside Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and Sir Peter Blake on the walls of London’s Groucho Club as part of its famous permanent collection. Beyond the Channel, Hayden’s work has graced the walls of galleries and shops in Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, as well as in Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Dubai. Hayden has often been referred to as an artist to the stars, for his works have been admired and purchased by the likes of Harry Styles, Jude Law, Matt Smith, Lily James, Chris Martin and Jennifer Lawrence.