Shepard Fairey opens new show in Dubai

To an artist known for his politically charged works like Shepard Fairey, the conservative United Arab Emirates may seem like an unlikely place for a new gallery exhibition.

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

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

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

The mural – which gave CNN an exclusive first look – consists of two large walls facing each other. One side shows camellia flowers and a dove, and on the opposite wall is an intricate motif of fingers gesturing a peace sign, and a fist holding a brush with a flower growing out of it.

For someone who admits that he has little knowledge of the city or the region, Fairey took the opportunity to visit Dubai.

“As soon as I heard they had a gallery here, I said I want 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 in an interview at the gallery.

Wearing a face mask, he passes visitors attending a preview of the exhibition, praising his work without realizing that the artist is behind them.

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

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

“I put pretty much everything into this show that I would put into every show,” he said, when asked if his works had been censored for the show. “I asked ‘what about my criticism of the oil industry?’ And they said, “Well that’s not the main source of income for the UAE anyway. And I don’t do anything explicitly sexual. “

However, the first concept for a mural, which was to be placed in a different part of the city, was dropped because it was too difficult to get across the border. The piece “Lotus Angel” shows a woman holding a flower.

“It is a female figure and it is not easy to get approval for this in a public space,” he explains.

So a new location – the D3 district – and a new design were chosen (see above). It is located next to many popular restaurants and office spaces.

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

“The fist is a symbol of strength and empowerment, the brush is for art and the flower as something positive that grows and blooms. It doesn’t matter if you speak English, Arabic, German, Chinese, you can understand those images,” says he. 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.”

That is why when his show was announced in Dubai and he recalls being “attacked” on social media, he was not impressed.

“The US is far from perfect when it comes to people’s rights. I will not be intimidated by hypocrisy. I am going to export my philosophy wherever I go. This place will not shape me, I am going to share my ideas and hope they are well received and if they are not then I am still myself. “

Besides, Fairey admits that self-censorship often comes into play when thinking about the message he’s trying to send with whatever artwork.

“I try to make sure I don’t accidentally push people away before they’ve had a chance to think about what I’m saying about my job.”

Regarding US politics, he is “more hopeful” for a functioning democracy under a new president at the helm, although he warns there are lingering feelings from the Trump administration that need to be addressed.

“What I’m really concerned about right now is the way a lot of very immoral, manipulative people have decided that flat lies and misinformation are a tactic that will get them on their way and not give them any political accountability,” he says . said.

“There are pustules on the surface of the skin – Trump has popped but the bacteria is still there.”

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

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

The artist now considers himself a “citizen of the world” and an “artist of the people”. He would like to spend more time abroad, get to know other cultures and incorporate that into his work.

It seems fitting that a large piece featuring a woman in a hijab is at the door of his exhibition Otherwise, the rest of the art has “universal” themes – with pop culture figures and emblems of peace.

But this is not a symbolic 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 that people panic if you even try to present a Muslim.

“The cultural prejudices stand in the way of seeing everyone with equal dignity. Where I can, I try to break down barriers. It’s a handshake from afar. I’m open-minded and I’m here to learn.”