Ralph Steadman: Once Upon a Line

As part of the Portobello Film Festival 2025 and its 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Muse Gallery presents “Once Upon a Line,” an exhibition showcasing the bold, satirical, and unmistakably original work of renowned British artist Ralph Steadman.

The exhibition brings together a curated selection of prints and etchings from the Steadman Archive – some of which have not been assembled or displayed together for over a decade – alongside prints and sculptures produced by Ralph Steadman Art Collection Ltd., in collaboration with Aerosol Colours Ltd and Tin Man Art.

Among the many remarkable works on display is perhaps one of Steadman’s most iconic images, originally created for Hunter S. Thompson’s novel, “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.” This celebrated print was produced in collaboration with Steadman’s longtime friend and art dealer, Brian Chambers, at The Chambers Project.

Presented by the Muse Gallery, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience Steadman’s distinctive visual voice – a force that has shaped political commentary, literary illustration, and countercultural art for generations. As the famed co-conspirator of Hunter S. Thompson, Steadman’s work is marked by a troubled relationship with sanity, an anarchic sense of humour, and at its core, an unquestionable integrity. His wry illustrations are both entirely surreal and endearingly honest. Made during a long residency at Peacock Visual Arts in the late 1980s, these etchings form part of a larger suite honouring writers who influenced Steadman, among them Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and William Burroughs.