Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey, born in 1970 in Charleston, South Carolina, rose from the DIY ethos of skateboarding and punk culture to become one of the most influential street artists of the 21st century. Educated at the Rhode Island School of Design, Fairey’s work fuses graphic design, propaganda, and political critique—melding bold imagery with layered meaning to challenge authority, consumerism, and social conformity.

A large, close-up image of the Obey giant, created using white text against a black backdrop

His OBEY Giant campaign began in 1989 with a simple black-and-white sticker featuring wrestler André the Giant’s face and the word 'OBEY.' Inspired by the satirical anti-authoritarian film 'They Live', Fairey turned this street-level prank into a global critique of mass media and control. The campaign uses repetition and ambiguity to make viewers question the messages that saturate their daily lives.

Fairey's style borrows from Soviet-era posters, American war propaganda, and punk rock flyers, using limited color palettes and arresting slogans to disrupt public space. His work transcends the gallery, appearing on walls, lamp posts, clothing, and album covers, bringing art directly to the people and confronting them with questions about power, obedience, and freedom.

Shepard Fairey: Reimagining Propaganda in the Age of Resistance

His most iconic works, like the 'HOPE' poster for Barack Obama and the 'We the People' series for civil rights and environmental justice, demonstrate art’s power as political intervention. More than three decades after its launch, OBEY remains a living symbol of visual resistance, proving that art, when it speaks boldly and publicly, can influence culture, challenge systems, and ignite collective action.

Fairey’s art has evolved in response to political and cultural crises

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Dig Deeper

A short documentary on Shepard Fairey's rise from punk street artist to cultural icon, examining the political force behind his signature style and the lasting impact of the OBEY campaign.

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Barbara Kruger’s work is a masterclass in speaking truth to power. She uses the tools of mass media not to sell, but to subvert, to interrupt the daily scroll of consumption with urgent, unforgettable questions. Her white-on-red commands force us to confront the systems we’re often too busy to question: capitalism, patriarchy, surveillance, conformity. Her work isn’t quiet, it’s confrontational. And that’s the point. In a world of endless noise, Kruger reminds us that boldness still breaks through.

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