We are pleased to present David Howe’s new Beloved Leader series at the 2023 edition of Spring/Break Art Show LA.

This captivating exploration of power and control by artist David Howe features a unique blend of North Korean propaganda paintings and modern American iconography, the series takes a critical look at the power dynamics between leaders and their people.

Inspired by the rarely seen propaganda posters of North Korea, the Beloved Leader series is a bold and timely statement on the power of media images and the often-insidious effect of authoritarian figures. The series features heroic figures, modeled after leader figures like Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, surrounded by attractive, propaganda-friendly archetypes.

The series presented in Spring/Break Art Show LA features 3 large monumental paintings of modern American icon Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, and his successful public image. The painting questions the power dynamics in a modern, corporate America, and asks viewers to consider the differences between what is presented and what is actually going on beneath the surface.

To create this series, the artist assembled a “painting factory” in Bushwick, staffed by a team of virtuosic painters who worked to imitate the painting style of North Korean workshops.

FAD Magazine: Press 2023