Rise Above

Two murals by Shepard Fairey face one another between buildings 10 and 11 in Dubai Design District. Produced by SAN Projects in 2021, Rise Above Peace Fingers and Rise Above Dove accompanied Future Mosaic, the artist’s exhibition at Opera Gallery in Dubai.

The works carry Fairey’s graphic language into an open passage through the district. Emblems of peace are framed by rhythmic patterns, bold outlines and a palette of red, blue and yellow against black and white. Their opposing positions create a conversation across the space, with visitors moving between the images rather than standing before a single wall.

Completed in four days using spray paint and acrylic, the murals extend the exhibition’s themes of peace, justice, tolerance and coexistence into a setting accessible outside gallery hours. SAN Projects coordinated the production, connecting the artist’s imagery with the surfaces, scale and practical demands of the site.