Shepard Fairey Reimagines Poltrona Frau’s Archibald Armchair

Throughout his 35-year career, Shepard Fairey has been many things—from illustrator to activist and founder to street artist. But you probably know him best from the independently designed ‘Hope’ portrait of Barack Obama in stylised red, white, and blue, during the 2008 U.S. presidential elections. Making waves has always come easy to the South Carolina-born creative. Fairey got his start designing T-shirts and skateboards in the mid-1980s. Years later, while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree, he launched a guerrilla-sticker campaign featuring professional wrestler André the Giant. This evolved into the worldwide Obey campaign, encouraging critical thinking about public space and authority that later spawned his apparel brand Obey Clothing. Since then his bold graphic style, influenced by pop art, Soviet constructivism, and punk aesthetics, has tackled human rights, environmental justice, anti-war advocacy, and voter empowerment. His work has found its place within the ‘We the People’ series for the 2017 Women’s March, high-profile album covers (including Led Zeppelin and the Smashing Pumpkins) and over 135 large-scale murals around the globe. Fairey’s latest canvas, however, happens to be a piece of exquisite furnishing in collaboration with Poltrona Frau, the storied Italian luxury furniture brand founded in 1912 by visionary designer Renzo Frau, renowned for its exquisite leather craftsmanship and residential furniture, automotive, aviation, and yacht interiors. 

“I always enjoy the challenge of applying my work in new ways,” Fairey says. “And not all canvases, such as irregularly shaped building surfaces, are easy to adapt to.” Fortunately, the Poltrona Frau Archibald armchair with its Art Deco shapes proved to be a pleasing surface. For this reinterpretation of one of the brand’s most recognisable icons, that is French architect and inventor Jean-Marie Massaud’s original design, Fairey chose a colour-blocked concoction of geometric and organic patterns that works with the spirit of the chair, but also connects with his own philosophy. “The shapes of the Archibald are so distinct that I believe it’s possible to apply almost any design to it without diminishing its unique character,” he concedes. 

“As a lover of DJ culture and post-modern remix, the clash of unexpected things is as exciting to me as things with obvious natural harmony.” But nature is certainly the star of this project. In this limited-edition offering, fittingly named ‘Delicate Balance’, Fairey explores the fragile ecosystems that sustain earth itself and all of its species. Topics including climate change and environmental destruction can be daunting, so he uses pleasing imagery to start a conversation about what we find beautiful and should consider preserving. “The great thing about Poltrona Frau’s materials and processes,” he explains, “is that they are designed to be long-lasting and have as small an environmental impact as possible.” For instance, the armchair is upholstered in Pelle Frau ColorSphere Impact Less, a leather created through a more responsible tanning process that reduces the use of chemicals and water. In addition, through a partnership with Treedom, for every armchair sold, two coffee trees will be planted in Guatemala, in the Huehuetenango region, supporting a community of 80 indigenous women. 

Much of Fairey’s work has been about radical and democratic accessibility. Hence, one would expect there would be some tension to reconcile while creating something that will likely sit in collectors’ homes. But Fairey settles that conflict by not seeing art as a purely binary equation. “Though I believe in the most democratic ways of sharing my art, even a limited edition chair is much more accessible than a one-of-one painting,” he continues. “I try to make things that are accessible for every level of economic ability.” And Poltrona Frau, he points out, is unique in the extent to which they are willing to experiment and innovate in pursuit of the artist’s— in this case Fairey’s—vision. “I think we all try to find a balance between our inside and outside selves, our extraverted and our introverted moments,” observes the artist. “I think this chair can be evocative and provocative in moments of self-reflection or in conversations with friends and family where it’s comfortable to discuss life’s most challenging issues.” 

200 pieces of the Archibald Delicate Balance Limited Edition is available exclusively through Poltrona Frau flagship stores and a curated selection of authorised global retailers; price on request.