Building on the success of the first Friend & Heroes launch in 2022, Johnny's iconic series returns for a second edition featuring four new figures. Including actors Heath Ledger and River Phoenix, writer Hunter S. Thompson, and musician Bob Marley, the first three of whom were friends of Johnny, with Bob Marley as a personal inspiration. These personal relationships add a true emotional weight to the pieces. Working from photographic references, each image is stripped back to a simpler and iconic portrayal of the subject, which Johnny then develops and energises with his characteristic freehand flourishes.

“I’d like to see these four people together,” said Johnny about his new subjects. “It would be fascinating. All legends, absolutely.” 

“The first time I ever saw them all together presented at Castle Fine Art (Johnny’s first pieces were Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Elizabeth Taylor and Al Pacino) there was something kind of lyrical. I felt the relationship between them all for the first time and the feeling was a lot stronger that I imagined it would be. Primarily what I liked about it was how they all worked together.

I was really looking forward to having another crack at it with other friends and heroes - simply for me to be able to say thank you to all those people for having either been in my life, been a part of my life or having affected me to the degree that they have."

Visit the link below to view this collection of artwork.