Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey is the American artist behind OBEY. It began in 1989 as a sticker campaign — André the Giant Has a Posse — while he was a student at the Rhode Island School of Design, and grew into one of the most widespread street-art projects in the world. His 2008 Hope portrait of Barack Obama became one of the defining political images of its time.

Fairey's prints use the language of propaganda posters — strong reds, ornate borders, stylised faces — to argue for peace, justice and the environment. Peace Goddess is one of his best-known images.