The owner of the mural "Hope", which has turned into a global icon

Shepard Ferry for the first time in the Middle East from the portal «Dubai Design»

Shepherd Ferry with Khadija Al Bastaki and Sylvain Gillard in front of a mural.

From the source

The contemporary international artist and one of the internationally known cultural icons Shepard Ferry unveiled a new mural in the "Dubai Design District", where Ferry worked for days in the neighborhood, which is a global center for major design and creativity companies and a forum for talent in this field.

This work adds to Dubai's long track record an outstanding artwork that attracts residents, visitors and interested people, confirms the emirate's global position in the fields of culture, art and design, and strengthens its position within the UNESCO network of creative cities.

International artist Shepherd Ferry is famous for his artistic work "Hope" which he completed in 2008 and portrayed former US President Barack Obama, after which the work turned into an icon used in many major events and campaigns. Ferry was also famous for a campaign titled "We are the People", in which he painted a group of pictures That reflects the diversity of American society.

The two murals created by Ferry can be seen between Buildings 10 and 11 in the Dubai Design District. The first is titled Rise Above Peace Fingers, which is a fist holding a paintbrush from which a flower sprouts, while the second mural bears the name Rise Above Dove and in it the well-known dove of peace. A universal message of peace, harmony and coexistence.

Bright shades of red, blue and yellow are used in all the murals, as well as black and white in the distinctive Shepherd style.

Shepard Ferry's works range from posters and street art to skateboards and presidential portraits, and range from pictures you might find on the roof of a skateboard to work that now graces the walls of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

Common denominators

"There are more in common between Dubai and the United States than many people think," said Shepard Fairey. "In addition to encouraging vibrant creative industries, they both promote justice, peace and tolerance."

I was very excited to explore these important values, and I am grateful to the Opera Gallery and the Dubai Design District for giving me the opportunity to create work that reflects and celebrates our similarities rather than evoking differences, and I cannot imagine a better place for my first mural in the region than in the Dubai Design District. ”

Dubai inspiration

“We are delighted to host a world-famous artist like Shepherd, as Dubai inspires him with its rich and varied cultural heritage,” said Khadija Al Bastaki, Executive Director of Dubai Design District.

When he reached out to us to explore the possibility of doing something here, we were excited that art is intrinsically linked to our unique identity, maintains the neighborhood's status as a vibrant meeting place, promotes curiosity and people's involvement in activities and stimulates creative minds. ”

"We are proud that Shepherd has chosen the Dubai Design District as the first place in the region to create a new mural design, and without a doubt this new mural reinforces Dubai's position as a global destination for design and creativity," she added.

“We are very excited to partner with the Dubai Design District to present the first mural of Shepherd Ferry in the Middle East, as he is one of the most famous contemporary artists in the world, and his work transcends all cultures and artistic disciplines and contains a great message saturated with peace, justice and hope,” said Director of Dubai Opera Gallery, Sylvain Gillard. To the world, knowing that the timing of the launch of this work is in line with the Future Mosaic exhibition that we started more than a year ago, and this mural is a great start to the year 2021 in which Dubai sets global standards for intercultural communication and cooperation.

Khadija Al Bastaki:

This new mural reinforces Dubai's position as a global destination for design and creativity.

Shepard Ferry:

I can't imagine a better place for my first mural in the area than the Dubai Design District.

This work adds to Dubai's long track record of an outstanding artwork that attracts residents, visitors and interested parties.

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