Sydney's street art scene has found a powerful new advocate in Gallery Brave, which opened last month in the historic Hibernian House in Surry Hills. The gallery is positioning itself as far more than a traditional exhibition space, instead serving as a street-facing creative playground where art, design, and culture intersect in dynamic ways.
Founded by advertising agency Today the Brave, Gallery Brave represents a fundamental shift in how the team approaches creativity. Executive Jaimes Leggett explains the gallery's mission as a liberation of creative energy. "So often ad agencies are making, that creative has been funneled towards making advertising," Leggett says. "We've tried to liberate our creative people. Let's make chocolate, let's make merch, let's develop music, let's write books, magazines, curate artists, create our own art."
The choice of Hibernian House as the gallery's home was deliberate and meaningful. The building's walls have been covered with work from touring graffiti artists over the years, making it a natural epicenter for Sydney's street art community. "I think if you are a touring graffiti artist and you come to Sydney, you've done work in this building. This feels like an epicenter for that street art scene," Leggett notes.
The gallery's name reflects a deeper philosophy about the creative process itself. "The very nature of creating something is such a personal, such an emotive thing for people to do," Leggett reflects. "Every artist goes through a journey, quite a profound and personal journey to create something. And then they put that thing out to the world for others to see, to judge. That takes incredible bravery."
Gallery Brave made an impressive debut with a statement-making launch featuring work from American contemporary artist and OBEY founder Shepard Fairey, arguably one of the most prolific global graffiti artists. This high-profile opening established the gallery's credentials and demonstrated its commitment to showcasing internationally recognized street art talent.
This month, the gallery is hosting "Among the Brave," a group exhibition created in partnership with creative collective KRVNM – midsöle, a crew that has been shaping Australia's underground art scene since 2013. The show brings together over 30 artists, including Peque, Ink Hunter, Sindy Sinn, GBFZ, Silly Pear, and RJ, celebrating the kind of community-driven, unfiltered expression that thrives outside traditional gallery spaces.
KRVNM – midsöle has built an impressive reputation through signature exhibitions that dive deep into subcultures and have garnered widespread support from skull-themed shows backed by Young Henrys to sneaker-focused projects with Trollyd. Their work has appeared across Sydney's contemporary art circuit, from M2 Gallery to aMBUSH Gallery, consistently championing both established names and emerging artists who are defining the next wave of Australian street art.
"Among the Brave is where art drops the filter – it's community-driven, gritty and alive," says Ladyj wüllf, founder of KRVNM. The exhibition embodies the raw energy and authentic expression that Gallery Brave seeks to promote and support within Sydney's creative community.
For Leggett, Gallery Brave's mission is clear and straightforward. "If Gallery Brave was supporting and complementing the art scene in Sydney, that would be a good place to be. To help support and foster the street art scene in Sydney. We ask so much of artists to conceive and create things – we should be able to help them provide a platform where they can show their work to the world."
Gallery Brave is open from 4-6 PM Wednesday through the weekend, offering a fresh after-work gallery experience for art lovers, culture enthusiasts, and anyone curious enough to see what's happening inside Hibernian House. "Among the Brave" opens November 13, 2025, at Gallery Brave in Hibernian House, with artist announcements and event details available by following GalleryBrave and _krvnm_ on social media.
