Obey (Shepard Fairey) Biography

Obey (aka Shepard Fairey) is a contemporary American street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator, and founder of OBEY Clothing, an iconic label in the skateboarding scene.  

In 1989, while attending the Rhode Island School of Design, Fairey rose to fame for his ‘Andre the Giant Has a Posse’ sticker campaign. During the 2008 US presidential election, Fairey created the Barack Obama ‘Hope’ poster: an iconic image that would go on to become a symbol for a generation.  

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston has described Fairey as one of the most influential street artists of his time. His work is included in collections at The Smithsonian; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Modern Art in New York City; the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego; the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond; and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.