Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey is the artist behind the moniker Obey, best known for designing the iconic HOPE poster from Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Obey’s work is distinguished by an essential and bold style with a minimalist palette guided by the hip-hop and punk cultures that taught the artist to question social conventions. The book is divided into sections, each centered around the most representative themes of Fairey’s art: propaganda; peace and justice; environment; music; and new works.
The book begins with a section dedicated to propaganda, featuring some of the artist’s most significant images on this theme, beginning with HOPE. It then continues through works in the peace and justice section in which, through the power of images, Obey draws attention to issues such as human rights, abuse of power, war and peace. In the environment section, the artist presents works that remind us of the importance of community in safeguarding our planet. The artist’s universal message also finds expression in the section devoted to music and its universality and accessibility. The monograph concludes with a section featuring new works by the artist, executed between 2021 and 2024.
Los Angeles–based artist Shepard Fairey (born 1970) is considered a leading figure in both contemporary street art and street style alike. Many of his designs, such as his 1989 sticker campaign featuring an image of André the Giant and the text "Obey" or his 2008 portrait of Barack Obama with the caption "Hope," are instantly recognizable the world over.

For the past 30 years, Shepard Fairey has been using art and graphic design as a means of social interrogation. Drawing from graffiti tradition, Fairey employs a distinctive combination of stylized imagery and impactful typography to address a wide range of social and political themes such as anti-violence, racial and gender equality, and environmental protection. Designed specifically for the Gallery of Modern Art in Rome, Italy, this collection presents 30 new works, also placing Fairey’s body of work in conversation with the artist’s own selections from the contemporary art collection at the Capitoline Superintendency. Through this careful curation, readers are able to appreciate Fairey’s ability to hone in on imagery that is both topical and timeless, resulting in pieces that inform the public discourse as much as they are inspired by it.

Los Angeles–based artist Shepard Fairey (born 1970) is considered a protagonist of contemporary street art and street style alike. Many of his designs, such as his 1989 sticker campaign featuring an image of André the Giant and the text “OBEY” or his 2008 portrait of President Obama with the caption “HOPE,” are instantly recognizable the world over.