Explore Shepard Fairey's exceptional gallery on KAZoART, which features over 100 original works by the American street artist. An incredible collection of very limited edition silkscreens awaits you!
Shepard Fairey, aka Obey Giant
Shepard Fairey, aka Obey Giant, was born in 1970 in Charleston in the United States. He plunged into the world of graphic design at the age of 14 by drawing images that were flocked on t-shirts and skateboards.
Influenced by the work of Andy Warhol or the Russian artist Alexander Rodchenko, he naturally goes to art school.
The icon of American Street Art
At the end of the 1980s, Obey and his friends from the Rhode Island School of Design created a series of stickers and posters based on the figure of the wrestler André the Giant, which they clandestinely pasted by the thousands on the walls of American cities.
This was one of the first and most important "viral" Street Art campaigns, revealing the striking power of this new form of clandestine expression.
An obvious political commitment
His work took a turn during the American presidential campaign of 2008. Shepard Fairey created the poster "HOPE" in the effigy of the future President of the United States, Barack Obama. The latter will recognize the influence that this poster, a true iconic image, has had on the popularity of his candidacy. He will personally thank the street artist.
The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston considers Shepard Fairey one of the best and most influential street artists of the 21st century.
Read more on the blog :
Art in 60 seconds - Shepard Fairey