Gaia is an internationally renown street artist who has been commissioned to paint over 100 murals. His work is well known to Kingston visitors and residents where he has created two monumental murals in the Stockade district- "Artemis Emerging from the Quarry" in 2013 and "Pronkstilleven" in 2015. He has consistently been a generous O+ supporter with many donations of his original art to the annual fundraisers. Gaia has received such honors as being included in Beyond the Street- the 100 Leading Figures in Urban Art and the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30. As a three-time Fulbright Hays Fellowship recipient, he has studied, taught and painted in Russia, India and Colombia. Gaia even manages to assist, collaborate and mentor many artists- both established and emerging.

"Messenger" (66" x 96") depicts an anthropomorphic figure- half bird, half man, drawing apart its robes to reveal Yosemite's Half Dome- both an homage to Hudson River painter Albert Bierstadt and a reference to the 19th century American colonial doctrine of manifest destiny. Gaia created a mural on the side of a building which still survives in Wash. DC which is a larger version of this painting in which the manifest destiny theme corresponds to the gentrification of the NE neighborhood.

FMV: $8,000

Can't attend the gala? To leave an absentee bid email: [email protected]