Stuart Semple’s Name Change to Anish Kapoor

A New Chapter in the Vantablack Rivalry

In the latest twist of his decade-long feud with Anish Kapoor, artist Stuart Semple has legally changed his name to Anish Kapoor. Known for his relentless satire around Kapoor’s exclusive rights to Vantablack the “world’s blackest black”. Semple announced the change in a newsletter titled I’ve Just Changed My Name, saying, “Just to let you know, I legally changed my name to Anish Kapoor today. Hopefully, I can now get ahold of that Vantablack and share it with you all. Love, Anish.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Semple (now officially “Anish Kapoor”) is launching a new set of prints titled I’M NOT A NICHE MAN, available for 72 hours starting November 1, 2024. Each print is hand-signed with his freshly adopted name, boldly stamped with the phrase, “I’m not a niche man. I’m Anish, man,” in Semple’s own Black 4.0, an ultra-matte pigment developed as a direct counter to Kapoor’s Vantablack monopoly. Every print comes with a copy of his legal name change deed, adding yet another layer of humour and commentary on accessibility, identity, and the absurdity of controlling a single shade.

Also part of Semple’s ongoing “colour wars,” a campaign against what he calls “colour hoarding”, when an individual or company claims exclusive rights to a particular shade. Semple has previously called out the use of Mattel Barbie Pink, Tiffany blue, and Cadbury purple, as symbols of this restrictive trend.

“Colour hoarding” is a fascinating concept, especially in a world where brand IP is so tightly woven into recognition. Shades like Tiffany Blue or Hermès Orange are so iconic that they trigger brand recognition instantly, without a single logo in sight. It’s interesting to consider Semple’s perspective here on how these colours, while instantly recognizable and embedded in brand identity, can also become monopolized, closing off creative use for others.

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Inspiration from Mark.