Higher Love, 2026

Phaidon and Artspace are proud to present Higher Love, 2026, a new limited-edition silkscreen print by Michael Kagan. Known for his distinctive painting style that is rooted in both figuration and abstraction, Kagan frequently draws from imagery of space exploration, focusing on astronauts as contemporary icons.

In Higher Love, the astronaut figure is rendered through layered, angular mark-making, a process that has become central to the artist’s practice for nearly two decades. Working from photographic source material, Kagan builds his compositions through fractured planes of color, translating moments of stillness into something more dynamic.

As the artist explains, 'I want the paintings to function both instantly and slowly. Ideally there’s an immediate impact — boom, image. You recognize the astronaut instantly. But as the viewer gets closer, the brush marks begin to take over, and the image starts to fall apart. That tension between clarity and collapse is important to me.'

Produced as a full-bleed silkscreen and signed on the front, Higher Love features a beautiful deckled edge and measures 30 x 20 inches. Proceeds from the sale of the edition will benefit the non-profit organization Animal Haven, as chosen by the artist, which works to find permanent homes for abandoned cats and dogs.

Michael Kagan (b. 1980, Virginia Beach, VA) received his BA from The George Washington University and MFA from New York Academy of Art, where he also completed a postgraduate fellowship in 2005. Special projects include a commission from The Smithsonian, two apparel collaborations with Pharrell Williams, and album cover artwork for The White Lies album Big TV, which won an Art Vinyl award for Best Art Vinyl in 2013. He recently had a solo exhibition at Virginia MOCA, Virginia Beach, VA, USA (2019/2020). Kagan’s work is in the collections of the Hall Collection, Reading, VT, USA; Maezawa Collection, Chiba, Japan; Maki Collection, Tokyo, Japan; Gemini Trust Company, New York, NY, USA; Fidelity Investments Corporate Contemporary Art Collection, Boston, MA, USA; Founders Fund, San Francisco, CA, USA; and Jacob & Co., New York, NY, USA among others. Kagan is represented by Almine Rech.

Animal Haven is a skilled rehabilitation and training team. They are a family of passionate staff, volunteers, and supporters committed to enriching the lives of homeless pets from the moment they enter our care. Animal Haven has served the New York City Tri-State area since 1967, and are humbled to be trusted experts in the animal rescue world. The care they provide cats and dogs, including behavior intervention, enrichment outings, and ongoing support after adoption, makes Animal Haven one of the top choices for pet adoption in the region.

All our frames are manufactured in the USA, using eco-friendly and sustainably sourced engineered hardwood for durability and a uniform finish that is free of defects. Frames are available in Black or White Satin and Honey Pecan.

All prints are hinged to a conservation quality, acid-free and lignin-free Alpha Cellulose matboard, using an acid-free linen tape. The mat's surface paper is fade and bleed resistant and is attached to a conservation quality foam-core mounting board that will keep the work safe from deterioration over time. Artworks with a deckled or decorative edges will be floated on the matboard, with acrylic spacers to separate the art from the glazing. All mounting is fully reversible, without any potential damage to the art.

All of our frames come with picture quality .090 mm plexiglass, which blocks 66% of UV to prevent color fading from exposure to light, keeping your art protected for years to come. It is now considered the industry standard for artists, museums and galleries throughout the world.

For images up to 30" x 40"

• 1 1/4” wide, 3/4” deep, with a 2 1/2” wide mat.
• We generally leave 1/4” - 1/2” of paper showing around the image, to accommodate signatures and for visual appeal.

For sheet sizes larger than 30” x 40" please contact an Artspace advisor for a custom quote.

Our art editions ship in 7 to 10 business days from New York.

Our framed art editions ship in 11 to 14 business days from New York.

This work is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt of delivery.

Questions about this work?

Interested in other works by this artist or other artists? We will source them for you.

Contact an Artspace Advisor at advisor@artspace.com