The State Hotel - Featured Artists

SHEPARD FAIREY

EXTERIOR MURAL – OBEY FIRE SALE

Shepard Fairey is a world-renowned street artist, most famous for the Barack Obama "Hope" poster that became an essential image in the 2008 presidential election.

Fairey designed and painted the five-story mural on the west façade of the building. Titled "Obey Fire Sale", the mural is a comment on the challenges any individual faces when pushing for environmental and climate responsibility. The term "fire sale" means the liquidation of goods damaged in a fire, or it can mean a rush to sell off inventory before a bankruptcy. Fairey had completed this design before the record number of California wildfires broke out, which climatologists say are a symptom of climate change, only to amplify what he meant as a metaphorical critique of short-sightedness, which will lead to fire sales in low lying areas from Louisiana, to Florida, to Bangladesh.

KATE BLAIRSTONE

WALLPAPER COLLECTION & PORTRAIT COLLECTION

Kate Blairstone is an illustrator and designer based in Portland, Oregon, where she lives and works with her husband, Matt, and sweet little boy, Ramone.

Inspired by Pike Place Market, Kate's nine custom wallcoverings for The State Hotel highlight the bounty and delightful detritus of the historic downtown Seattle destination. Each design is a flamboyant mix of seafood, seasonal produce, flowers and souvenirs: a visual treasure hunt made up of hundreds of individually hand-drawn illustrations.

Kate also created the portrait collection that is found in each guestroom within The State Hotel. In executing this collection, Kate's goal was to choose individuals who are diverse, quirky, and part of Seattle's unique lore. As a group, the subjects represent a wide range of eras, from the founding of the city to modern day, drawing attention to Seattle trivia while speaking to inclusivity, diversity and the many different cultural influences that make Seattleites proud of their city.

KYLER MARTZ

BEN PARIS MURAL

Kyler Martz is an illustrator and tattoo artist in Seattle. His work ranges from commercial illustrations to murals around the city and all over the United States. He has done installations and murals for Hermés, Starbucks, Amazon, as well as local restaurants and community projects.

For the mural in Ben Paris, Kyler took inspiration from Ben Paris, the American sportsman, entrepreneur, conservationist, and owner of the original landmark restaurant, as well as the new restaurant interior design combined with 19th century textile patterns and his tattoo work to develop the art piece.

TAKIYAH WARD

ROOFTOP PAINTING – ENJOY

Takiyah Ward is a local artist born and raised in Seattle. Takiyah grew up watching her mom draw, and expanded her creative outlets as she grew up in an artistic city. She created a custom piece for our rooftop deck, titled 'Enjoy'. The piece is a commentary on the fast-paced growth and changes going on in Seattle, and its undulating patterns and flow derive from Takiyah's other passion besides painting, which is dancing.

RYAN MOLENKAMP

LANDSCAPE PAINTING – OLYMPICS

Ryan Molenkamp's work is largely informed by his interest in landscape, geology, and development. Molenkamp earned a BFA from Western Washington University and has exhibited extensively throughout the region at Linda Hodges Gallery, Kirkland Arts Center, LxWxH, Gallery4Culture, Seattle Art Museum Gallery, Vermillion and SOIL. He has also exhibited at Launch LA, Chucifritos Gallery (NY), and Duplex Gallery in Portland. Molenkamp was awarded a residency at Jentel in 2012 and has been published in Art Ltd. Magazine, Seattle Magazine, and City Arts Magazine. He resides in Seattle with his wife and daughter.

JESSICA CANTLIN

FINE ART PHOTO PRINT – MIGRATION

Jessica Cantlin is a fine art landscape photographer. Her photographs capture the quiet landscape that exists where people and nature intersect with the environment. Through the lens, Jessica photographs the tranquility of the natural world.

Jessica travels the world with her cameras, always seeking the opportunity to derive an impressionable image from an ordinary landscape. Just as she records her travels with imagery, she also documents them in her Travelogue, where written details of her adventures are memorialized.