Former White Stripes frontman Jack White has expressed his hope that fans will perceive him from a "different angle" when they attend his first-ever art exhibition in London. The 50-year-old musician, renowned for hits like Seven Nation Army and Fell In Love With A Girl, will launch These Thoughts May Disappear at Damien Hirst's Newport Street Gallery on Friday.
Speaking to the Press Association, the Detroit-born artist said: "If you dig deeper into most artists, you'll find that they're creative in several different ways, we just don't get to see it too often. This is definitely one of those moments, because a lot of people don't know I work on furniture, or did that when I was younger, or that I'm an amateur carpenter, let alone do they know I do poetry and photography, and direct short films. It's the curse of whatever they first saw you as. If they saw you in The White Stripes, then you're that guy from The White Stripes for the rest of your life. It's a high-class problem to have, but sometimes you do have to cleanse the palette and get people to take a deep breath and look at you from a different angle."
From Blues to Art: A Creative Journey
Just as White's work with The White Stripes reimagined blues legends like Son House and Robert Johnson, fused with Detroit proto-punk influences from The Stooges and MC5, his art takes everyday objects and transforms them into something otherworldly. The exhibition features interactive exhibits, sculptures, and furniture, spanning from his teenage years to the present day.
The show came about after White met Hirst when his record label Third Man Records opened its first London store in 2021, an event marked by a Beatles-esque rooftop performance on the artist's balcony. White explained why London was the ideal venue: "Damien invited me, but it felt fitting to get out of your own hometown. There's a saying in the Bible: a prophet is never accepted in his own town. People get used to you being a certain thing, so sometimes it's good to leave town. We learned that quickly with John Peel when he championed us in London. It felt like starting all over again with a new perspective."
Early Beginnings and Artistic Evolution
White opened his upholstery shop, Third Man Upholstery, in 1996, a year before forming The White Stripes. He even formed a band called The Upholsterers with his mentor Brian Muldoon, hiding 100 records inside 100 pieces of furniture for Muldoon's 20th anniversary in the trade. "It's nice to show pieces from the '90s when I was a teenager, predating much of what people know me for," White said. "I didn't know I'd have enough sculptures to fill 37,000 square feet. Time passed, and I've been so inspired and worked hard on this show for years."
The exhibition includes notable works like The Red Tree (2015), a piece featuring a decaying red tree. Alongside The White Stripes, White is known for bands The Raconteurs (hits like Steady As She Goes) and The Dead Weather, featuring Alison Mosshart of The Kills. His solo career began in 2012 with Blunderbuss, and he has released six studio albums, the latest being 2024's No Name. In April 2026, he dropped two new songs: G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs and Derecho Demonico.
These Thoughts May Disappear runs until September 13 with free admission.
