Chaos Mandala II

Dimensions: 24 x 18 Inches

Medium: Screenprint on cream Speckletone Paper

Provenance: Hand-signed, numbered and dated by Shepard Fairey. Verisart certificate of authenticity from Obey Giant transferred to buyer on request. 

Edition: Limited Edition of 550 (#75/550)

Year: 2025

Condition: Excellent

ABOUT THE ART

"Chaos Mandala 2 is the follow-up to Chaos Mandala released a few weeks ago. This print merges two seemingly contrasting concepts and aesthetics…chaos and harmony. I have always been fascinated by the cyclical chaos of posters and graffiti accumulating on the streets and then being ripped at by humans and the elements. There is beauty in the layering and in accepting that there are too many variables of push and pull for any of us to control them all. For me, the philosophy to embrace is “enjoy the ride and savor the ephemeral”. In my backgrounds I’m often trying to replicate in my studio the charm of the layering and chaos one finds on the streets but using my own patterns and collage. Mandalas on the other hand are symbols of harmony, wholeness, and the universe in its ideal form. Chaos and harmony might seem hard to reconcile, but Buddhist monks poetically address the paradox of striving for harmony but accepting impermanence and destruction with their rituals of creating and destroying elaborate sand mandalas. Obviously, the mandala is a motif and a meditation that I come back to at times to reflect on all of the symbolism mentioned above. You’ll see that this sequel is a complementary version to Chaos Mandala. If you were unable to get that one, perhaps you’ll have luck with this, or maybe you want the set. Either way, thanks for the support!"

-Shepard Fairey

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (…OBEY…) sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His work became more widely known in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, specifically his Barack Obama "Hope" poster.

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston calls him one of today's best known and most influential street artists. His work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.