A major figure of the contemporary street art movement, Shepard Fairey rose to prominence in the early 1990s with his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” campaign, which distributed posters, stickers, and murals featuring the eponymous wrestler around Providence, Rhode Island. Fairey’s iconic 2008 “Hope” campaign poster for President Barack Obama encapsulates a number of the artist’s recurring concerns, including propaganda, portraiture, and political power. Fairey’s work, which has sold for six figures at auction, can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
The “Universal Dignity” print aims to promote peace, equality, and humanity. I’d like to see a fundamental assumption that ALL people deserve respect and human dignity. This applies to the universal meaning of dignity, to be valued, respected for what you are, what you believe in, and how you live your life. I consider myself a global citizen, and though I think the nations serve a structural function, all people should be equal, and everyone’s life counts the same regardless of where they live.
– Shepard
