A solo exhibition titled Peace is Radical by Shepard Fairey opens at ReflectSpace Gallery at Glendale Library, Arts & Culture. An opening art party was held on January 20, 2024. The exhibition runs through April 14, 2024.
Peace is Radical Shepard Fairey
Once again the renowned street artist and activist offers a compelling solo exhibition. Peace is Radical features works addressing a range of topics, including creative empowerment, the importance of democracy, race and gender equality, environmental justice, and, of course, peace and harmony. Almost all of these art pieces utilize screen printing.
Shepard Fairey Mural, ReflectSpace Gallery
This versatile graphic medium can be used to produce high-end art or multitudes of prints that can be disseminated liberally. Fairey uses screen printing in both ways and finds it to be an incredibly empowering and democratic medium. A section in the “Peace is Radical” exhibition will display a series of the screens he has used to print his art.
According to Shepard Fairey
Fairey tells us, “I titled this show Peace is Radical because humanity seems to be in a perpetual state of conflict. Peace requires us to pursue harmony with thoughtful vigilance. I’m a pacifist. I believe in solutions to disagreements that avoid violence. We are an intelligent species capable of cooperation and solving problems without violence. When I look at humanity in general, most people want to live in peace.”
He continues, “The majority of my art focuses on issues of justice, and an outcome of improved justice is a more equal, fair, and peaceful society. Through my art, I want to remind people of the equal humanity of all people, regardless of their race, religion, nation, or culture. There is no us versus them; there is only us. The goal of the art in “Peace is Radical is to encourage us to see ourselves in others, and to strive for health and peace for humanity and the planet that sustains us!”
ReflectSpace Gallery
Co-curators of ReflectSpace Gallery Ara and Anahid Oshagan added, “At a time when the world is so deeply engaged in war—from Gaza, to Ukraine, to Armenia, to Ethiopia and many other places — having Shepard Fairey’s exhibit Peace is Radical at ReflectSpace is a monumental event. It brings a message of peace and hope and engenders critical conversations about social justice in the world and our communities. The artist has always used his visibility and platform as an artist to bring important conversations into the public sphere and this fits perfectly into the ReflectSpace gallery mission.”
Shepard Fairey has designed a limited-edition library card for Glendale Library, Arts & Culture that will be available at all Glendale Library branches through the run of the exhibit, while supplies last.
Shepard Fairey with LAArtParty Founder Kathy Leonardo
About Shepard Fairey
In addition to being a renowned street artist, Shepard Fairey is also a graphic designer, activist, and the founder of OBEY Clothing and creative agency. The artist gained notoriety with the creation of the “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker. It later evolved into the OBEY GIANT art campaign. In 2008, his portrait of then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama became an internationally recognized emblem of hope. He is known for the “We the People” campaign which debuted during the 2017 Women’s Marches worldwide. Fairey has painted more than 135 public murals. He has become one of the most sought-after and provocative artists globally, changing the way people converse about art and view the urban landscape.
Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, South Carolina. Fairey became passionate about art at an early age. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1989 he created the “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker that transformed into the OBEY GIANT art campaign, with imagery that has changed how people see art and the urban landscape.
Shepard Fairey has painted nearly 135 large-scale murals across six continents worldwide. For additional information, visit his website at http://oobeygiant.com
On view: January 20, 2024 – April 14, 2024; Free parking with validation is available at the Marketplace parking structure located directly across from the Harvard entrance of Central Library.
What: Peace is Radical, Shepard Fairey
Where: Glendale Central Library, 222 East Harvard Street, Glendale, CA 91205
When: Running through April 14, 2024
Website: https://www.glendaleca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/8932/16
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