Shepard Fairey

An artist who truly needs no introduction, American artist Shepard Fairey is a world famous artist, muralist and all rounder when concerning art. Using screen-prints, wheat paste, stencils, paintings, posters and every other form of media on the planet, he has become a household name whenever the word street art is spoken. Shepard Fairey’s works are featured in the URBAN NATION 2018 exhibition, ‘UN-DERSTAND The Power of Art as a Social Architect’.

As a young South Carolinian, Shepard Fairey had an inherent interest in art and skateboarding, his first mediums being through t-shirt graphics and skateboards. Soon after, he hit the skateboard community hard by pasting homemade stickers all over the place. Another strong influence was his love for punk music, which he demonstrated stencils. Shepard graduated from Idyllwild Arts Academy in Palm Springs, California and then earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island.

Shepard Fairey’s art comes from a mix of graffiti, pop art and business art, his works have been seen in galleries and museums around the world; the most recognisable of his works includes his portrait of Barack Obama, described as iconic and inspiring, the same poster went on to represent his 2008 presidential campaign.