Shepard Fairey opens a new show in Dubai

For an artist as famous for his politically charged works as Shepard Fairey, the conservative United Arab Emirates might seem an unlikely place for a new gallery show.

And yet, the country’s brightest city, Dubai, is exactly where the contemporary American artist – best known for the iconic Obama poster “Hope” – marks his first foray into the Middle East.

Fairey’s first show in the region, “The Mosaic Future,” opens March 15 at the Dubai Opera Gallery and features 150 works – both newer pieces and iconic images and motifs from the artist’s larger work.

To mark the occasion, the artist also painted a mural in D3, the design district of Dubai.

The mural – which CNN was given an exclusive first look at – consists of two large walls facing each other. On one side are camellia flowers and a dove, and on the opposite wall is a complicated motif of fingers gesturing a peace sign and a fist holding a brush with a flower growing from it.

For someone who admits he has little knowledge of the city or region, Fairey jumped at the chance to visit Dubai.

“As soon as I heard they had a gallery here, I said I wanted to do it there. I’m not an authority on Arab culture or Islam, but I’m open-minded and I’m here to learn,” he said. a gallery interview.

Wearing a face mask, he passes the visitors who participate in a preview of the exhibition, praising his work, without knowing that the artist is behind them.

“In the US, there are so many misconceptions about Middle Eastern culture. And obviously it’s not monolithic – it’s much more Western here (in Dubai) than it could be elsewhere. But I always want to feel like I’m learning. and grow and comment on things from a place of experience as much as possible. “

At first glance, collaboration might seem unlikely. Fairey is a street-turned skater who took the subculture by storm with his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker campaign in 1989. In 2008, he catapulted international fame when his presidential candidate’s “Hope” poster since then Barack Obama has become the defining symbol of a clever election campaign. He is an activist and vocal critic of Donald Trump, and his murals and works of art are not known to shy away from comments about human rights violations, climate change and women’s empowerment.

“I put almost everything I would put into any show in this show,” he said when asked if his works had been censored for the exhibition. “I asked, ‘What do you think of my criticism of the oil industry?’ “And they said it was not the main source of income for the UAE. And I don’t do anything sexually explicit. “

However, the first concept for a mural, which should be located in another part of the city, was abandoned because it was too difficult to cross the line. The song, “Lotus Angel”, shows a woman holding a flower.

“She is a female figure and it is not easy to get approval in a public space here,” he explained.

So, a new site was chosen – the D3 neighborhood – and a new design (seen above). It is next to a number of popular restaurants and office spaces.

This idea of ​​tolerance and cultural acceptance is important to Fairey.

“The fist is a symbol of power and power, the brush is for art and the flower as something positive in growth and flowering. It doesn’t matter if you speak English, Arabic, German, Chinese, you can understand those images,” he said. added.

“Peace and harmony … are easy for everyone to understand and it’s hard to find fault with those ideas. It doesn’t say anything about religion, gender or nationality, so these are ideas I can take anywhere.”

Which is why, when his show in Dubai was announced and he remembers being “attacked” on social networks, he was not rocked.

“The United States is far from perfect in terms of human rights. I will not be allowed to be upset by hypocrisy. I will export my philosophy wherever I go. This place will not shape me, I will share my ideas and I hope they will be well received and if not, I will be too. “

In addition, Fairey admits that self-censorship often comes into play when considering the message she is trying to send with any work of art.

“I try to make sure I don’t accidentally push people before they even have a chance to consider what I’m saying with my work.”

As for US policy, it is “more hopeful” for a functioning democracy under a new president, although it warns that there are persistent feelings of the Trump administration that need to be addressed.

“The thing that really worries me right now is how a lot of very immoral and manipulative people have decided that lies and misinformation are a tactic that will let them go and give them no political responsibility,” he said. . said.

“There are pustules on the surface on the skin – Trump was thrown out, but the bacteria are still there.”

But Fairey adds that he has been “so far so good with Biden.”

“I’m quite impressed with the way Biden is trying to go, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to do these things.”

The artist now considers himself a “world citizen” and an “artist of the people.” He wants to spend more time abroad, learn about other cultures and incorporate this into his work.

It seems appropriate that a large piece depicting a woman in a hijab is positioned next to the door of her exhibition.. Otherwise, the rest of the art has “universal” themes – featuring pop culture figures and peace emblems.

But this is not a tokenist play to show that he “receives” Islam, he says, but rather an older play that “makes sense” for his first show in the Middle East.

“There is so much Islamophobia in the United States, so people get scared when you even try to introduce a Muslim.

“Cultural preconceptions prevent you from seeing everyone with equal dignity. Wherever I can, I try to erode barriers. It’s a handshake from afar. I’m open-minded and I’m here to learn.”