SHEPARD FAIREY

Tell me about the work in Future Mosaic and the secret mural you created as part of the exhibition.

A lot of the work in this exhibition focuses on the concepts of peace, justice, human rights, equality, and protecting the planet. How all of those things are achieved is open to interpretation, but the emotion I hope the work stimulates is compassion and empathy for humanity and the planet. Different cultures and places define the terms I mentioned in different ways, but I think some concepts of kindness and fairness are universal enough to cross over more superficial barriers. The mural was not so much a secret, but it ended up being two really nice walls in the Dubai Design District (d3). My crew and I painted the Rise Above Peace Dove and Rise Above Peace Fingers murals on walls that face each other at a prominent entrance to the district, directly across from the skatepark. I knew about the area because of my friend Marwan Shakarchi, AKA the artist Myne and Yours, who was kind enough to install some of my work there ten years ago and has a few great murals scattered around the district. It is important to do public art when I travel because it engages people outside of the art world, but it is not easy to secure public walls in Dubai. I'm incredibly grateful to Opera Gallery and d3 for facilitating such great walls for me to paint. The themes in the murals are universal. Peace, harmony, and creative empowerment should be aspirations for every culture and nation around the globe.

From an artistic perspective, what have you learned/gained from experiencing Dubai's rich culture?

One of the things that I realized which, is something that I generally assume is true, is that people are similar even in places that have different cultures, Dubai included. My firsthand experience in Dubai makes me feel that my instincts on communicating as a global citizen will connect with people in most places, even if I'm not fluent in every cultural nuance of that place. It was great to hang with the artist El Seed in Dubai. Even though our aesthetics are very different, I realized our philosophies about art and connecting humanity through a universal language are very similar. 

I like your claim of being a "world citizen." But, what does that mean to you? Also, is there another location internationally where you would like your work to be exhibited?

Being a world citizen means that I value the humanity and perspectives of people from everywhere on the planet. Even though I have a US / Western upbringing, I do not have a bias towards that perspective because there are good and bad things about the US and everywhere else. Being a world citizen basically means that I'm trying to be open-minded and open-hearted.

How do you think Covid-19 affected both well-established and aspiring street artists? 

In some ways, it was easier to do street art while everyone was quarantining, but at the same time, galleries were closed. I hope that I'm not the only artist who saw Covid as a time to have an uninterrupted focus on creativity. In the end, whether a work is in a gallery or on the street, the quality creations rise to the top. 

Considering the current state of unrest throughout the US, what do you think art's role is in seeking change? 

Art can impact people emotionally and create a social conversation that wouldn't happen otherwise. When people are inspired to see the humanity in someone else and consider their perspective, there is social progress. Art can be an essential tool in that equation. 

Referring back to your iconic Obama Hope poster, have your views on hope changed from that election to our current political environment? If so, in what ways?

I'm always hopeful because cynicism and despair are a dead end. I try to mix hope or optimism with realism to cope with the disappointment of difficult times like the Trump era. I'm very hopeful about the new administration and how some people have become more energized around racial justice and the need to collaborate to solve problems like Covid and climate change.