Nuart festival just rounded up their 17th edition in Stavanger this weekend, and we’re bringing you exclusive shots of the new large wall painted by Ricky Lee Gordon in collaboration with Amnesty International. “A truth that is beauty. A beauty that is truth.” was painted as a part of Amnesty’s Brave campaign and it was done in honor of Finish transgender activist Sakris Kupila.
South African artist is known for his poetic imagery that strongly rely on philosophy of non-duality and interconnectedness. In that spirit he painted this large tribute to Sakris, a human rights defender from Finland who has fought tirelessly for transgender rights in the face of harassment and intimidation. Matching the theme of this year’s festival – “power”, the piece is reinventing the concept of big portraits of royalties and powerful people by creating a large scale homage to Kupila and his fight. The textual part “A truth that is beauty. A beauty that is truth.” directly supports his efforts and the notion that the real beauty lies within what feels true, rather than what is imposed on oneself. In this context the 4 story mural is a tribute to all oppressed individuals that are seeking their personal freedom, which is further accented through flying white doves.
Check out more progress and detail photos by Sasha Bogojev after the jump and if you’re visiting Stavanger make sure you check out this important piece @ Lagårdsveien 80.
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