Shepard Fairey Headshot

Shepard Fairey 92 IL

RISD/Limited Editions 

October 2021

Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1989 he created the "Andre the Giant has a Posse" sticker that transformed into the OBEY GIANT art campaign, with imagery that has changed the way people see art and the urban landscape. After more than 30 years, his work has evolved into an acclaimed body of art, including the 2008 "Hope" portrait of Barack Obama, found at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. In 2017, the artist collaborated with Amplifier to create the "We The People" series, which was recognizable during the Women's Marches and other rallies worldwide in defense of national and global social justice issues.

Fairey's stickers, guerilla street art presence, and public murals are recognizable globally. His works are in the permanent collections of the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and many others.

Shepard Fairey has painted more than 105 largescale murals across five continents worldwide.

For more information, visit www.OBEYGIANT.com.

“As a student from a middle class family I was lucky enough to afford tuition at RISD, but I still needed things and had to hustle. That hustle ultimately led me to my signature work style. I'm proud to participate in the launch of this program that partners alumni to create new work (and new friendships) to support current students' needs not met by traditional financial aid."
Shepard Fairey
The Future is Unwritten Collage, 2021; screen print on 80 LB cream French Speckletone paper; 18 x 24 inches
The Future is Unwritten Collage, 2021; screen print on 80 LB cream French Speckletone paper; 18 x 24 inches