"The Rose That Grew From Concrete"
Mixed Media on Saunders Waterford 320gsm
A4, 2025.
This is a one off and original Tupac portrait that was inspired by and named after a poem that Tupac wrote in his teens titled "The Rose That Grew From Concrete". It has been meticulously and carefully crafted by the artist to honour and pay respect to the memory and humanity of the legendary rapper Tupac Shakur.
Like the poem, this portrait is small and simple at first glance, but on closer inspection you will notice it is intricately detailed but with rough textures and fine lines, gently mirroring the metaphors of Tupacs sad but beautiful verse. The charcoal and grey tones represent the concrete, and of course, Tupac is the beautiful rose that's grown from it.
Although seemingly drawn as a black and white portrait, I have added in very subtle undertones and hues of shades of brown throughout. This reflects both Tupacs skin tone and persona and also adds, depth, life and a dynamic feel to the portrait, enriching the lovely textures and nuances throughout the piece. The background was carefully painted white, the effect here is that the white paint reflects the light as opposed to the blank page absorbing it. This represents rhe light required for a rose to flourish and also, of course, the bright shining light in the afterlife. Reflecting the theme of hope within the poem, it also enhances Tupacs strong silhouette making him stand out from the page.
This piece has been created using only archival grade materials, including lightfast coloured pencils, charcoal, uniball fine liners and white posca, all on pure cotton acid free Saunders Waterford 320gsm Watercolour Paper. Please note that the piece has been protected with several layers of UV protective Varnish, allowing for framing under invisible glass so that none of the delicate detailing is lost under reflection. The drawing is A4 in size and for your convenience it comes already mounted for frame sized 16 x 12 inches. The portrait also comes with an embossed and hand signed Authenticity Certificate as proof that it is a one off, unique and original artwork by the artist Catsby Eyesore.
Tracking number will be provided as soon as the product has been shipped.
