New series for new year

It is 2013 and I hope you all had a good and safe celebration. 

I am now in full gear as I prepare for my first solo show in March (details soon).

For now, enjoy a new series I am starting.   This year I am developing some time-period pieces specifically focusing on early 1900's.  The idea is to mix the sophistication of the lifestyle of the early 1900's with some vibrant urban colors.  As I previously posted photos of some cars from this time period, I am now also focusing on humans and lifestyle.  Here is the first image from the studio of one of the new pieces.  More soon :)

TEDx video release

In early October I was invited to speak at TEDxGoteborg.  The keynote was about some of my street-art projects in Sweden but more about one specific trip I took to West Bank Palestine to paint on the controversial wall that separates the country of Palestine and the country of Israel.  I shared some personal stories as well as a view on how art is a language.

In a week where violence in Palestine and Israel is raging, I think this video is important to share that there is hope for humanity. A universal language such as Street-Art can create moments of peace for people who under other circumstances may not find it. I share a couple of moments like that. I do not take sides in my keynote. I just share the beauty of art and how it helped me find a way to share it with others. 
Share, discuss, comment, and get painting :)

2013 prep

2012 was really great.  I had 2 solo exhibitions plus a show at the Boras Museum in Sweden. I took a trip to Stockholm for a giant 12 meter mural and a trip to West Bank in the middle east for a 5 meter mural on the wall in Bethlehem. I was honored to add a permanent mural in Boras city and had the pleasure to give a keynote at Tedx Goteborg.
Now I am focusing on 2013.  Next year will be even bigger. A lot of great things are in store and atleast 2 solo shows are already in the works for both Spring and Autum of 2013 as well as currently nailing down a mural in a neighboring country to Sweden.

With that said, here are some photos from the studio where I have been busy starting work for next year because if 2012 was has taught me anything, its that I should be prepared because projects can pop up at any moment and force me to lose lots of sleep.  Better safe :)  enjoy. - shai

Art on the Seam trailer

Below is the official teaser trailer for the upcoming documentary titled "Art on the Seam".  The film was directed and produced by a good friend of mine David Freid who, in May of 2012, invited me to be part of this film as I painted a mural on the wall in Palestine.  The mural was from one of David's photographs of a Jordanian Bedouin and after much interest by the public to hear the story of David and I, I actually did my keynote at TEDx earlier in October about this project.

The film will be released soon (as well as the TEDx Goteborg keynote).  Check back here soon for details on the release of both.  This is an extremely important project and film as it helps raise awareness to the power of art in this region and raises a great discussion about this highly controversial canvas wall.
 
Art on the Seam from David Freid on Vimeo.

TEDx coming soon

This past Wednesday (October 10) I had the honor to be a speaker at TEDxGoteborg.
My keynote was about my recent trip to Palestine and the mural I painted there as well as how public art can help beautify your city and chance an environment and culture.

The video will be released in the upcoming weeks by TEDxGoteborg and I will post it here. so check back soon.

BROKEN WINDOW @ A GALLERY

Here are some photos taken by the very talented photographer Dino Soldin at the opening of my solo BROKEN WINDOW exhibition at A Gallery in Gothenburg.  Photos of the actual pieces will be uploaded soon to the Gallery section of this website. For now, enjoy some gallery shots :)

Gothenburg art show

I hope you can join me on September 22nd for the opening reception of my solo exhibition at A Gallery.  Details below, teaser shot of one of the paintings above :)

cheers

In Studio

I have been working full time in the studio which has been somewhat of a blessing since it seems the rain is not stopping anytime soon.  Here are some preview shots of my work for my upcoming solo exhibition at a gallery in gothenburg on September 22nd.  More info soon.

Boras Magazine

I am happy to announce I am on the cover of BORÅS Magazine. I had the pleasure to do an interview for their issue and was honored when I heard they are putting my mural on the cover. This is available  in the city of Borås 

and even Landvetter Airport. For those in Gothenburg, I will have some copies at the opening of my solo show on September 22nd at A-Gallery.

Farm Art

I took a trip to the country side and had a chance to paint on a side of a barn here in Sweden.  Just some freehand of a horse.  Below is a video time lapse.  

Residence Magazine article

As I mentioned last month, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the very kind Maria Linden for Swedish house magazine Residence Magazine.

Below is the scans from the magazine in case you didn't get a chance to pick up a copy last month.
You can click on each image to enlarge it (or right click on your mouse to open it in a new page).

 

ELLE

It looks like ELLE web gave me some love.  Nice to see that the mural I put up in Stockholm is (somewhat) still standing after months of iffy weather :)

Superstudio

I was recently invited by Superstudio to come paint at their office.  For a while now, I have really loved  this old "Gammal Fiskargubbe" painting that is a famous old Swedish painting of this old fisherman.
So, getting inspired by that old painting, I decided to remix it and make this.

Some new stuff

I have really been into period pieces and studying early 1900's in particular.
This old cop car is the first of a new series I am starting.

"Porkchop Patrol"

120 cm X 100 cm

Spray paint and Acrylic on Canvas

Ted X Göteborg 2012

I am pleased to announce I was invited to be a speaker at

TEDxGöteborg 2012 – Beyond Borders.

The lecture will be October 2012. More details later this summer.  

For more info please visit:

http://www.tedxgoteborg.com/speakers/

Norman Rockwell gets remixed

A little something new I made recently.   A little bit more explanation in the text below the photos.

"Word on the street"
70cm X 100cm
Acrylic on paper.
A re:mix of a Norman Rockwell painting (see below for details).

I have always admired the work of famous American painter Norman Rockwell. The beauty he captured in the normal American life was so on point and poetic. I chose an image I always adored titled Stock Market Quotations which was a painting Mr. Rockwell created back in the 1930s shortly after the stock market crash. Although the original painting consisted of the distinguished man and his dog along with a handful of other locals looking at the Stock Market on the local daily newspaper, I chose to re:make this image with my own passion mixed into it. With the graffiti tags replacing the stock market newspaper, and only leaving the man and his dog, I try to imagine that the interest that Graffiti/Street-Art is now starting to collect as a culture that has recently exploded and drawn the attention of everyone shows through in my own reinterpretation. This painting should not be fully credited to me obviously. While the new take on the old Rockwell image is created by me, I would like to think that the influence My. Rockwell has had on artists such as myself pushed me to think of how to capture our society and culture (in my case, urban art) and bring them into my work. Hope you dig it :)

Residence Magazine interviews Shai Dahan

For those living in Sweden, I highly recommend going to your local MAXI/ICA or local magazine shop and picking up a copy of this months RESIDENCE MAGAZINE.
I was honored when I was asked to be featured and was surprised to see the fantastic four page spread in the magazine.  Below are some shots but be sure to pick it up a copy and read all about my art and how it is finding its way in Sweden. :)