Mau Mau 'Outta Space' HMPs Available

Artist: Mau Mau
Title: Outta Space
Medium: Aerosol on Paper
Size: 13.5 x 30 cm
Edition: 50
Price: £100

  

Mau Mau is a renowned British urban graffiti and print artist who has cultivated a significant international following over more than two decades with his humorous, politically charged, and environmentally conscious work. Hailing from the surf and country environment of the North Devon coast, his style is unique, blending a "rural sophistication" with a rebellious urban edge. He got his name during a trip to Ghana in the early 1990s, when Rastafarians at the Twelve Tribes temple couldn't pronounce his birth name, Mark. They started calling him "Mau Mau," and the nickname stuck. 

His art often features a trademark character, a mischievous and fun-loving fox, which serves as a neutral yet potent vehicle for sharp social commentary on issues like corporate greed, political corruption, and environmental degradation. Mau Mau began his artistic journey designing graphics for the surf and skate brand Sewerside, co-owned from 1995 to 2001, before fully embracing street art to reach a wider audience beyond the gallery setting.

His street art can be found globally, appearing on city walls, billboards, shipwrecks, and surfboards across the UK, America, Jamaica, Thailand, and Australia. A notable piece, "Olympic Takeaway," which parodied the Olympics with a McDonald's clown, generated significant controversy, reflecting his desire to challenge viewers' perceptions of the world around them.

Beyond street art, Mau Mau has collaborated with various high-profile environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and Surfers Against Sewage, and created art for the Glastonbury Festival and record labels like Ninja Tune. His work has been exhibited in galleries worldwide, and a book of his work, Talking Out of My Art, chronicles his artistic journey and counter-cultural themes.