Ed Chapman’s Bob Marley (2005) is a striking torn-paper mosaic that captures the energy, charisma, and cultural significance of one of the most enduring icons of modern music. Constructed from thousands of hand-torn fragments of magazine pages, the work exemplifies Chapman’s earliest and most innovative approach to portraiture, meticulously layering colour, texture, and light to create an image that feels both precise and alive.
The portrait depicts Marley with his distinctive dreadlocks and magnetic expression, a figure whose music and message of unity remain globally celebrated. Chapman’s choice of torn paper, rather than painted canvas or ceramic tile, gives the piece a unique tactility. Each fragment is deliberately chosen and placed, with the final surface sealed in clear lacquer – a technique that preserves its vibrancy so effectively that the work looks as fresh today as it did in 2005.
Created during the early 2000s, this piece represents a formative period in Chapman’s career, before his later shift into ceramic mosaics and other materials. These early paper works, crafted from the pages of Sunday magazines painstakingly ripped into thousands of tiny shards, laid the foundations for Chapman’s reputation as one of Britain’s most distinctive contemporary mosaic artists.
Alongside portraits of John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, and David Bowie, Bob Marley belongs to a body of work that positioned Chapman at the forefront of reimagining mosaic portraiture. The combination of subject and technique makes Bob Marley especially significant. Marley remains a symbol of freedom, resilience, and creativity, and Chapman’s paper mosaic preserves that legacy in a tactile, unconventional medium.
For collectors, the work offers both aesthetic impact and cultural weight—uniting the worlds of fine art and music in a single, powerful image.
| Medium: | Original |
| Format: | Board |
| Size (Unframed): | 63 x 63 cm |
| Signed: | Yes |
Ed Chapman is a highly regarded British mosaic artist, widely recognised for transforming the traditional medium into a strikingly modern art form.
His work is defined by meticulous craftsmanship, using hundreds of individually cut ceramic or vinyl fragments to create portraits of iconic cultural figures.
Chapman’s subjects span music, politics, and film, often prompting viewers to question whether his mosaics are paintings at first glance.
Since the early 2000s, Chapman has established an international reputation, attracting collectors from celebrity circles to private institutions. His commissions include projects for Fender Music, Sony, Hard Rock Café, UNICEF, Starbucks, and Manchester City FC. His work has raised substantial sums at charity auctions, such as mosaics of John Lennon and Tiger Woods which together realised £85,000 in 2021. His pieces are also included in educational curriculums, alongside artists like Picasso and Peter Blake. Chapman’s reputation as an innovator in mosaic art continues to grow, positioning him as one of the UK’s most distinctive contemporary portraitists.
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