[UPDATED, 3/20/25] Renowned Charleston artists Tim Hussey and Shepard Fairey on March 13 debuted work at a new show, Fragments + Facades, at the Aiken-Rhett House during the launch of the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF)’s Charleston by Design weekend, which ran through March 16.
The show, part of the foundation’s Charleston Festival, will run through April 13. Last year, HCF offered art by Jill Hooper at the historic house. This year’s show, which also includes work by Atlanta artist Masud Olufani, was curated by Kelly S. Turner, who said in a press release that the three artists “highlight the role of contemporary art as an active participant in shaping lives and history and to critically engage the pressing issues of today by fostering exchange and dialogue to inspire change.”
In an interview, Hussey added, “I consider this an exhibition that my kids will appreciate,” noting the collection explores the juxtaposition of contemporary art, history and identity.
Hussey said Fragments + Facades was envisioned and presented to his childhood friends, Fairey and HCF President and CEO Winslow Hastie, as a way to blend the two artists’ unique yet complementary artistic styles.
Hussey said “Fragments + Facades” was envisioned and presented to his childhood friends, Fairey and HCF president and CEO Winslow Hastie, as a way to blend the two artists’ unique yet complementary artistic styles.
“Shepard and Winslow and I all grew up together downtown, so we know each other well,” Hussey said in a March 14 interview. “Shepard is exceptional at focusing on things at the macro, big-picture level. That’s why he’s so good at the political, universal topics work.
“I see things up close. We brought in Masud, too, because his art is all about identity, place and personhood.”
The artists draw on inspirations of variations of the human spirit and the human condition, and hope, through immersive works including two-dimensional and three-dimensional early street art, sculpture and original paintings on paper and canvas. The exhibit takes place inside the preserved “as-found” Aiken-Rhett House and outbuildings, further heightening the impact of these thought-provoking works.
“This exhibition represents HCF’s broader efforts at activating this incredible house in meaningful ways that engage new audiences and create opportunity for discourse in a place with a very complicated history,” Hastie said.
“Because we want to confront that history unequivocally through a contemporary lens, we feel a responsibility to make it a place of creativity that can spark thoughtful dialogue and provocative introspection. Over the years, we have seen a diverse range of artists approach this space in a visceral and authentic conversation and we want to provide a platform for these artists to engage with the history and culture of Charleston.”
Hussey, a neo-expressionist who works on paper and canvas, credited Turner for bringing all of the elements together.
“She made it all make sense,” he said.
Fairey, one of the best known street artists in the country, gained notoriety in his 1989 “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker campaign, later transformed into the “Obey Giant” art campaign. He also achieved worldwide recognition with the iconic “Hope” poster for presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Olufani engages in a site-specific dialogue with the Aiken-Rhett House through his art.
“Viewers first encounter Olufani’s performance video where the artist navigates an everyday urban landscape to uncover an unmarked site of enslavement, gradually transforming the forgotten space into a visible and poignant memorial,” the release said. “The desire to unearth continues in the artist’s sculptures, site-specific for the Aiken-Rhett House’s former enslaved quarters.”
Fragments + Facade will run through April 13. More information at charlestonfestival.com.
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