Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey
Fairey at the 2011 installation of THE BLACK HILLS ARE NOT FOR SALE in Los Angeles
Born	Frank Shepard Fairey (1970-02-15) February 15, 1970 (age 47) Charleston, South Carolina, United States
Nationality	American
Education	Rhode Island School of Design
Known for	Public art, Stenciling
Notable work	Andre the Giant Has a Posse Obey Giant Hope Rock the Vote OBEY Clothing
Spouse(s)	Amanda Fairey
Awards	Brit Insurance Design Awards Design of the Year AS220 Free Culture Award

Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, illustrator and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (…OBEY…) sticker campaign while attending the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), which appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News.

He became widely known during the 2008 U.S. presidential election for his Barack Obama "Hope" poster. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston has described him as one the best known and most influential street artists. His work is included in the 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.

Shepard Fairey was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. His father, Strait Fairey, is a doctor, and his mother, Charlotte, a realtor. He attended Wando High School. Fairey became involved with art in 1984, when he started to place his drawings on skateboards and T-shirts.