The conservative United Arab Emirates seems to an artist so famous for politically charged works as Shepard Fairey, an unlikely place for a new gallery.
And yet the country’s most beautiful city, Dubai, is exactly where the American contemporary artist – best known for the iconic Obama “Hope” poster, is making his first foray into the Middle East.
Fairey’s first show in the region, “Future Mosaic”, opens at Dubai’s Opera Gallery on March 15 and features 150 works – both newer pieces, as well as iconic images and motifs from the artist’s larger work.
To celebrate the occasion, the artist also painted a mural in D3, Dubai’s design district.
The mural – of which CNN got an exclusive first look – consists of two large walls facing each other. On one side, camel flowers and a dove are depicted, and on the opposite wall is an intricate motif of fingers signifying a peace sign, and a fist holding a paintbrush with a flower growing out of it.
For someone who admits that he has little knowledge about the city or the region, Fairey took the opportunity to visit Dubai.
“As soon as I hear that they have a gallery here, I say that this is where I want to do it. I am not an authority on Arab culture or Islam, but I am open-minded and I am here to learn, he said in an interview in the gallery.
Shepard Fairey paints his first mural in the Middle East in the Design District of Dubai. Credit: Jon Furlong
Wearing a face mask, he walks past visitors attending a preview of the exhibition, praising his work while not knowing the artist is standing behind them.
“In the US, there are so many misconceptions about the culture of the Middle East. And it’s obviously not monolithic – it’s much more Western here (in Dubai) than elsewhere. But I always want to feel like I’m learning and grow and I comment on things as much as possible from an experience. ‘
At first glance, the collaboration seems unlikely. Fairey is a street-turned-skater artist who took the subculture by storm with his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker campaign in 1989. In 2008, he catapulted to international fame when his “Hope” poster of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama became the defining symbol of an agile election campaign. He is an activist and vocal critic of Donald Trump, and it is not known that his murals and artworks shy away from commentary on human rights violations, climate change, and women’s empowerment.
“I put virtually everything in this show that I would keep in a show,” he said when asked if his works had been censored for the exhibition. ‘I asked’ what about my criticism of the oil industry? ‘And they said it’s not the biggest revenue for the UAE anyway. And I do nothing explicitly sexual. ‘
However, the first draft for a mural, located in another part of the city, was scrapped because it was too difficult to get across the line. The piece “Lotus Angel” shows a woman holding a flower.
“It’s a female figure and it’s not easy to get approval in a public space here,” he explained.
So a new site was chosen – the D3 district – and new design (seen above). It is located next to a number of popular restaurants and office spaces.
1/13 – “Greater than fear”
In January 2017, artist Shepard Fairey released a set of three politically charged posters titled “We the People”. The posters feature a Muslim woman, a Latina woman and an African-American woman. Credit: Artist: Shepard Fairey / Photographer: Ridwan Adhami / via amplifier foundation
This idea of tolerance and cultural acceptance is important to Fairey.
“The fist is a symbol of strength and empowerment, the paintbrush is for art and the flower as something positive that grows and blooms. No matter if you speak English, Arabic, German, Chinese, you can understand those images, he added.
“Peace and harmony … are easy for everyone to understand and it’s hard to find fault with the ideas. It says nothing about religion or gender or nationality, so these are ideas I can take anywhere.”
When he announced his Dubai show and he remembers being ‘attacked’ on social media, he is not aware.
“The USA is far from perfect when it comes to people’s rights. I’m not going to let myself be shone by hypocrisy. I’m going to carry my philosophy to wherever I go. This place is not going to shape me, I’m going share my ideas and hope that they are well received and if that is not the case, I will still be myself. ‘
On top of that, Fairey admits that self-censorship often comes into play when considering the message he wants to send with any artwork.
“I try to make sure I do not accidentally push people away before they have even had a chance to consider what I am saying with my work.”
“Rise Above Peace Fingers” by Shepard Fairey. Credit: ObeyGiant.com/Jon Furlong
As for U.S. politics, he is “more hopeful” for a functioning democracy under a new president at the helm, though he warns that there is a long-standing sentiment from the Trump administration that needs to be addressed.
“The thing that really worries me right now is the way a lot of immoral, manipulative people have decided that lying and disinformation is a tactic that will give them their own way and give them no political responsibility,” he said. said.
“There are pustules on the surface on the skin – Trump has been popped, but the bacteria are still there.”
But Fairey adds that it’s been so good with Biden so far ‘.
“Rise Above Dove” by Shepard Fairey. Credit: ObeyGiant.com/Jon Furlong
“I’m pretty impressed with the way Biden is trying to go, but that does not mean he’s going to achieve these things.”
The artist now considers himself a “world citizen” and an “artist of the people.” He would like to spend more time abroad, learn more about other cultures and incorporate it into his work.
It seems fitting that a large piece depicting a woman in a hijab stands near the door of his exhibition. Otherwise, the rest of the art has ‘universal’ themes – with pop culture figures and emblems of peace.
But it’s not a tokenistic piece to show that he gets ‘Islam’, he says, but rather an older piece that ‘makes sense’ for his first show in the Middle East.
‘In the US there is so much Islamophobia, so people get scared when you even try to introduce a Muslim.
“The cultural prejudices hinder everyone from being equally worthy. Where I can, I try to erode obstacles. It’s a handshake from afar. I’m open-minded and I’m here to learn.”