Fairey-isms
essay_collection · First published 2025
Author guide
Shepard Fairey Books in Order
Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, and author. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1970, he studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and began the André the Giant Has a Posse sticker campaign in 1989. That project developed into the OBEY visual-art and clothing brand. Fairey’s work combines street art, graphic design, political poster art, commercial imagery, and social activism. He founded Studio Number One and OBEY Clothing and has published numerous artist monographs, exhibition catalogs, art collections, zines, and collections of his writing and statements.
Street artGraphic designPolitical artArtist monographs
Catalog record updated .
Shepard Fairey's Newest Book
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
OBEY: Supply & Demand: The Art of Shepard Fairey
The most comprehensive entry point into Fairey’s career, covering the development of the OBEY campaign and his political, commercial, and public-art work.
Post No Bills
A concise early monograph focused on the origins and development of the André the Giant and OBEY projects.
Fairey-isms
An accessible collection of Fairey’s own statements about art, politics, propaganda, and creative practice.
Read in order
Books by series
quotation series · ongoing
ISMs
A Princeton University Press quotation series edited by Larry Warsh that collects statements and ideas associated with influential artists and designers.
- 1 Fairey-isms
Book 1 · essay_collection · 2025
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Essays and speeches (1)
- The Philosophy of Obey (Obey Giant): The Formative Years (1989–2008)
essay_collection · 2008
Other (14)
- Post No Bills
artist_monograph · 2002
- Obey Giant
artist_monograph · 2003
- Spothunters: The Fine Art of Real Estate
exhibition_catalog · 2006
- OBEY: Supply & Demand: The Art of Shepard Fairey
artist_monograph · 2006
- OBEY: E Pluribus Venom: The Art of Shepard Fairey
artist_monograph · 2008
- Art for Obama: Designing Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change
art_collection · 2009
- Mayday: The Art of Shepard Fairey
artist_monograph · 2010
- Shepard Fairey #OBEY
exhibition_catalog · 2014
- Covert to Overt: The Under/Overground Art of Shepard Fairey
artist_monograph · 2015
The seminal artist’s recent art and poster works, and his triumphant return to his street-art roots with murals, all in work never before published. Shepard Fairey rose out of the skateboarding scene, creating his “Andre the Giant Has a…
- Eleven Spring: A Celebration of Street Art
art_collection · 2016
- OBEY: Earth Crisis
artist_monograph · 2017
- Shepard Fairey: 3 Decades of Dissent
exhibition_catalog · 2020
- Weathered
zine · 2023
- OBEY: The Art of Shepard Fairey
artist_monograph · 2024
Frequently asked questions about Shepard Fairey
Who is Shepard Fairey?
Shepard Fairey is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist born in Charleston, South Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1992 and lives and works in Los Angeles.
Sources: obeygiant.com (opens in a new tab)risd.edu (opens in a new tab)
How did Shepard Fairey start the OBEY campaign?
While studying at RISD, Fairey created the “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” stencil and sticker in 1989. The project later evolved into the globally recognized OBEY visual identity.
Sources: designmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)obeygiant.com (opens in a new tab)
What influenced Shepard Fairey’s art?
Fairey has identified Barbara Kruger, Robbie Conal, Russian Constructivist propaganda, and punk and skateboarding culture as important influences. His work adapts those traditions to communicate political and social ideas through bold graphics.
Sources: aaa.si.edu (opens in a new tab)designmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)
What awards and honors has Shepard Fairey received?
His honors include the Design Museum’s 2009 Design of the Year for the Barack Obama poster, an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from RISD in 2021, and France’s Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor in 2024.
Sources: designmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)risd.edu (opens in a new tab)obeygiant.com (opens in a new tab)
What is Shepard Fairey’s legacy in contemporary art and design?
Fairey helped demonstrate how street art, graphic design, and grassroots political messaging could reach a mass audience. His 2008 “HOPE” portrait became synonymous with Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and is preserved in major museum collections, including the Smithsonian’s.
Sources: designmuseum.org (opens in a new tab)si.edu (opens in a new tab)americanhistory.si.edu (opens in a new tab)