News — Mau Mau

Mau Mau, whose latest Vertical Gallery solo showcase ‘#wishyouwerehere..’ runs through Saturday, Aug. 9, is synonymous with his wily, wisecracking fox character — and the character’s bushy-tailed inspiration, the red fox, is synonymous with the street artist’s native United Kingdom. 

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the lone fox species found in the UK, boasts a nationwide population of around 375,000, the largest natural distribution of any land mammal except humans. About one-third of these foxes live in urban environments, leveraging their resourcefulness and cunning to persevere despite omnipresent threats like road accidents, habitat loss and human persecution.

“The fox has always been a rebellious creature — wild and free,” Mau Mau says. “Since I’ve started painting the fox, I feel like he's taken over the town. They're everywhere now in London.”

Red foxes are opportunistic omnivores, consuming everything from rabbits to rats. Though primarily nocturnal hunters, they can be active during daylight hours, particularly in city settings. Some even demonstrate an interest in contemporary art. 

“The first time I painted the fox, a fox came and watched me paint it,” Mau Mau recalls. “I was painting away, and then Mo [fellow street artist Mighty Mo] said ‘Mau, you’re not going to believe this. Look behind you.’ It was crazy.”

Mau Mau’s new book ‘Talking Out of My Art’ reveals the fox was born from his need for an image he could paint quickly. Prior to the fox — which emerged around the time Mau Mau bombed walls alongside fellow graffiti icons like Banksy, Sickboy and Inkie — his subjects ranged from pop culture staples like Snoopy and Winnie the Pooh to the San bush people of southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert.

“I was always more motivated by the message rather than a specific tag, so I used to use a lot of characters from other people's stories — famous characters that would give me a narrative to work with,” Mau Mau says. “I've always loved cartoons, so it was great when I came to paint the fox. A cartoon fox is so neutral. You can make so many statements with it, without showing a bias. I love that.”

Click here to view the exhibition online

Vertical Gallery, Chicago’s premier urban-contemporary art gallery, is very proud to present ‘#wishyouwerehere..,’ the much-anticipated return of British graffiti legend Mau Mau.

‘#wishyouwerehere..,’ on display July 11 through Aug. 9, wryly surveys the wreckage of a planet in epistemic freefall — a misinformation wasteland where seeing is no longer believing. Mau Mau will be in attendance for Friday, July 11’s opening-night reception, taking place from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

‘#wishyouwerehere..’ brings Mau Mau back to Chicago for the first time since 2019’s Vertical showcase ‘Bombing walls and painting bridges,’ his U.S. solo debut. During the intervening years, the artist’s career-long preoccupations — social injustice, corporate greed and environmental catastrophe foremost among them — have grown even more pervasive, intensified by political and technological forces conspiring to tear apart the fabric of reality.

“‘#wishyouwerehere..’ is about deceptions,” Mau Mau says. “We're bombarded with social media images, and there's a lot of confusion out there about what’s true and what isn't. At this moment, the truth seems to be for sale.”

Enter the star of ‘#wishyouwerehere..’: Mau Mau’s signature fox character, a truth-to-power mouthpiece adorning walls, surfboards and billboards across the globe. The burnt-orange trickster — wily and quick-witted, both trespasser and target — first emerged via Mau Mau’s work alongside Bristol, England’s famed TCF and Burning Candy graffiti crews.

“I've always loved cartoons, so when I came to painting the fox, it felt like it was meant to be,” Mau Mau says. “A cartoon fox is so neutral. You can make so many statements with it, without showing a bias. I love that.”

The nameless fox’s ‘#wishyouwerehere..’ misadventures unfold across an eclectic array of paintings, upcycled maps and found objects, amplifying Mau Mau’s hilariously barbed and savagely concise commentary on the state of our dysfunction.

“If you're dealing with issues that are quite heavy or dark, it's important to deliver your message with humor. You can't bash people with what you believe — you have to invite people to think about it,” Mau Mau explains. “Humor reaches so many more people. When you paint something dark but do it in a funny way, it's like ‘Oh, yeah, that's a good point.’”

Mau Mau hopes viewers of ‘#wishyouwerehere..’ find catharsis in its comic perspective.

“I want everyone to have a bit of a laugh. That's the main thing,” Mau Mau says. “People that are gonna come to my show are probably in agreement with my sentiments — I’m guessing that I'm not going to change anyone's mind. But we're all in this together, and we all need to speak up. Sharing our experiences is empowering to all of us, because it’s important to know that other people feel the same way.”

Mau Mau, a native of coastal Devon, adopted his tagging alias while surfing in Ghana, where locals struggled to pronounce his given name, Mark. He first gained attention designing graphics for surf and skate apparel brand Sewerside, which he co-owned and operated from 1995 to 2001. Mau Mau turned to street art after the company shuttered, painting message-themed pieces tackling topics from affordable housing to the Bush administration’s war on terror; his work now graces cityscapes, galleries and private collections the world over.

Mau Mau made his first Vertical Gallery appearance in partnership with longtime creative ally Beejoir, co-headlining the 2017 duo exhibit ‘Foreign Policy.’ His career is the subject of the retrospective ‘Talking Out of My Art,’ published in 2024 by Velocity Press; Mau Mau will be signing copies of the book during Vertical’s ‘#wishyouwerehere..’ opening event (2006 W. Chicago Ave. #1R, enter via the alley off Damen Avenue).

Vertical Gallery is excited to present their 11-Year Anniversary Group Show. Thank you to everyone that has supported the gallery over the years. The show runs April 5 – 27, 2024 with an opening reception on Friday April 5, 5:00-8:00pm. The show features an international roster of artists: Akio Harada (JP), Arne Spangereid (NO), Blake Jones (US), Chris Uphues (US), Euan Roberts (UK), Ezra Brown (US), Flog (FR), Graham Franciose (US), Hama Woods (NO), Louis (Masai) Michel (UK), Mau Mau (UK), Oscar Joyo (US), Pipsqueak Was Here!!! (NL), Richard Ankrom (US), Sweler (AU), Troy Scat (US), and Yusuke Toda (JP).

Akio Harada (JP): Showing with Vertical for the first time, Akio’s layered animal shaped work depicts human emotions while navigating between imagination and reality. His work features sharp silhouettes with multiple layers of paint, creating work that is both flat and deep.

Arne Spangereid (NO): Showing with Vertical for the first time, Arne is a celebrated artist known for his intriguing fusion of classical techniques and modern expressions. By blending old masters, impressionism, and cartoon art, he crafts playful interior scenes featuring unconventional elements.

Blake Jones (US): Blake has been showing with Vertical since 2020, including a solo show and curating a group show. Blake’s use of graphic line work and bright color palettes illustrates narratives of complex worlds inhabited by his own iconic characters, objects, and landscapes.

Chris Uphues (US): Chris has been showing with Vertical since 2014. His imagery as a designer, artist and street painter is inspired by facets of pop culture, such as comic books, animation, and video games.

Euan Roberts (UK): Showing with Vertical for the first time, Euan’s artistic practice is focused on analyzing the human condition, distilling feelings of humor, hope, suffering, joy, love and longing via his distinctive cast of animal avatars and visual metaphors.

Ezra Brown (US): Ezra encapsulates his many experiences, emotions, and feelings using his character ‘Happy the Clown’ as a reflection of himself to portray his message. His character is used to cope with events in the world around us today. This is his second group show at Vertical.

Graham Franciose (US): Showing in his second group show at Vertical, Graham’s whimsical, and sometimes emotional, illustrations share a glimpse of a story. A moment between the action, leaving the exact circumstances and narrative up to the viewer. There is sense of familiarity and honesty within his characters and scenes, as well as a sense of mystery and wonder.

Hama Woods (NO): Hama’s work shows a deep respect for nature and its immediate connection to humanity. Hama’s stencil intuitively reflects and introduces a sociological approach to greed and human consumption, and its direct impact on our natural environment. She has been showing with Vertical since 2019, including her sold out show in May 2022.

Louis (Masai) Michel (UK): Louis uses his art in the form of murals, paintings and installations as a way to highlight extinction, climate change and species equality. His solo show at Vertical in May 2021 featured interactive remote-control robot chickens — letting viewers experience the show and explore the gallery setting in real time from the comforts of home.

Mau Mau (UK): A renowned British graffiti artist, Mau Mau has been showing with Vertical for many years – including two solo shows. His work is politically and environmentally focused, usually with a mischievous fox as its hero. The artist has traveled across the globe, including the UK, USA, Jamaica, Thailand and Australia, painting on everything from shipwrecks and surfboards to billboards and city walls.

Oscar Joyo (US): Oscar is a Malawian-born, Chicago-based artist known for expressive portraiture that features his unique combination of photo realism and tribal patterning. His practice fuses both traditional and digital mediums to explore imagery and themes connected to Afrofuturism and afrosurrealism. He has been in many group shows at Vertical over the years.

Pipsqueak Was Here!!! (NL): With two sold-out solo shows at Vertical (September 2018 and October 2020) and multiple group shows, Pipsqueak has become a Vertical fan-favorite. Using children and animals in their work, they make us aware of the tender relationship that exists between nature and human nature. They aim to invoke contemplation and discussion about issues in the world today and let us look at the way we humans treat our globe.

Richard Ankrom (US): Richard reacts to his mundane surroundings, redefining found objects and environments. Since 2012, his figurines series creates a more intimate scale, creating BDSM masks for household trinkets. He takes sentimental goods that target nostalgic consumers and change them to make them individual and surreal by dipping or pouring them several times with synthetic rubber and tucked zippers. This is his first time showing with Vertical.

Sweler (AU): Sweler has participated in multiple group shows at Vertical over the years and every work has sold out. Influenced by the street art graffiti scene, his whimsical world of characters create their own unique stories. 

Troy Scat (US): Troy is a fine artist, illustrator, and tattoo artist from Chicago, now residing in LA. Frequently using realism portraiture, he’s created his own visual aesthetic. He has participated in multiple group shows at Vertical.

Yusuke Toda (JP): Returning to Vertical for his second group show, Yusuke’s work combines Japanese culture and pop art. His feature character named "yum" expresses how we and the environment around us are living in harmony together. Yusuke has been globally recognized for his dynamic blend of traditional and modern styles, with exhibitions selling out and receiving significant attention within the art world.

And a special print release from Flog:

Flog (FR): Flog has developed his unique graphic signature through his "People of Glass" series, a universe of transparent characters filled with colors. Against the contrasting background of an increasingly hard and gray world, the “People of Glass” share their colors subtly by interacting with each other or their environment. Flog has been showing with Vertical since 2022, including his sold out solo show at the SCOPE international art fair in December 2023.

Vertical Gallery is excited to present two special shows celebrating our 10-Year Anniversary! 

Opening first on March 11 at Vertical Project Space:
March 11 - April 16: Vertical Gallery 10-Year Anniversary Show Part 1 at Vertical Project Space featuring: Chris Uphues, Rae Denise (Racheal Scotland), AJ Ainscough, Laura Catherwood, Van Dam One, Goosenek, Melissa Villarreal, Angel Onofre, Matt Zuska and Jordan Ferguson.

Vertical Project Space is located at 2006 W Chicago Ave #1R (entrance in alley off Damen). Open weekends 12-5.

VIEW PART ONE HERE

Opening on April 1 at Vertical Gallery:
April 1 - 29: Vertical Gallery 10-Year Anniversary Show Part 2 at Vertical Gallery featuring: AlexFace, Martin Whatson, Flog, 2CHOEY, Hama Woods, Sergio Farfan, Collin Van Der Sluijs, Mr. Kreme, Mau Mau, and Pipsqueak Was Here!!! 

Vertical Gallery is located at 1016 N Western Ave. Open Tues-Sat 12-6.

Thank you to everyone that has visited and collected work from us over the past 10 years. And special thanks to all of the artists that have shown with us over the past 134 shows! 

Email us at info@verticalgallery.com if you have any questions.

Vertical Gallery, Chicago’s premier urban-contemporary art gallery, is very proud to present ‘NINE,’ its nine-year anniversary exhibition.

‘NINE,’ which runs from April 2-23 at Vertical’s 1016 N. Western Ave. location, includes ten artists, each contributing nine original 12”x12” works. The show features Ben Frost, Mau Mau, Liz Flores, Jeremy Yamamura, FNNCH, Helen Proctor, Chris Uphues, Jamiah Calvin, 2choey and Flog. Vertical will also release new prints from Frost and Yamamura on opening day, and from Kayla Mahaffey on April 15.

“We’re thankful to all of our artists and collectors for their support over the past nine years,” says Patrick Hull, owner of Vertical Gallery. “We’re thrilled to have this group of amazing artists in our anniversary show. With 90 original works and multiple print releases, there is something for everyone.”

While Vertical originally planned to include nine artists in the ‘NINE’ roster, the gallery evolved the theme to encompass ten artists representing nine years — plus one to grow on. Many of the names will be familiar to longtime fans of the gallery. Australian Ben Frost has been exhibiting with Vertical since June 2013; he curated “Paper Jam,” its first anniversary show, and has headlined four art fair solo exhibits over the years. UK street artist Mau Mau, known for his mischievous fox, has also featured in numerous Vertical group shows as well as two solo shows.

While 2choey from Bangkok is showing for his second time, following his participation in Vertical’s recent Winter Group Show, four of the ‘NINE’ artists are showing at the gallery for the first time. Tokyo-based Jeremy Yamamura brings his signature Dogzzz; San Francisco-based FNNCH offers his trademark honey bears; French artist Flog is showing for the first time in the U.S. with his whimsical “glass people” series; and Australian artist Helen Proctor will feature her colorful abstract landscape paintings.

Last but not least, ‘NINE’ features three Chicago artists. Liz Flores, who participated in a couple of previous Vertical group shows, will present a solo exhibit at the gallery in December 2022, while Jamiah Calvin follows his sold-out September 2021 Vertical Project Space solo show with new drawings. Chris Uphues has participated in many Vertical group shows since 2015, and brings a new series of intricate acrylic paintings to the ‘NINE’ show.

Vertical Gallery, established in April 2013 in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood, focuses on work influenced by street art, urban environments, graffiti, pop culture, graphic design and illustration. The gallery has distinguished itself as a pioneer through its consistent programming of significant emerging and established local, national and international artists.

NINE
April 2 – 23, 2022
Opening Day: Saturday, April 2nd, noon-6pm
Vertical Gallery, 1016 N. Western Ave., Chicago