Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Kobe Bryant - Kobe”?
Artist Statement
It does not matter who your favorite team is, if you appreciate style, grace, and power in basketball, then you appreciate Kobe Bryant. I was asked by Upper Deck to do a portrait of Kobe at his request. I knew Kobe from working on the logo for his KB24 website. Kobe is a basketball icon and was a pleasure to be able to create a piece of iconic art of and for him. These prints are tradition fine art lithographs, with beautiful pigment density, they are not offset lithography. -Shepard Two editions of this fine art lithograph have been produced, "MVP" and "KOBE". Each are limited editions with a portion of the editions signed by both Kobe and Shepard, all have been signed by Shepard.
Summary
Kobe Bryant - Kobe is a 2008 fine art lithograph by Shepard Fairey, published by Upper Deck in an edition of 50 at an original price of $950. Measuring 20 x 30 inches, it portrays basketball icon Kobe Bryant. Per the source, Fairey was asked by Upper Deck to create the portrait at Bryant's request, having known him from designing the logo for his KB24 website. The source describes these as traditional fine art lithographs with high pigment density, not offset lithography. Two editions were produced, KOBE and MVP, each limited, with a portion signed by both Bryant and Fairey and all signed by Fairey.
Why It Matters
Kobe Bryant - Kobe is a distinctive outlier in Shepard Fairey's catalog: a small-edition, high-price fine art lithograph of a sports icon, made through a direct relationship with the subject. The source explains that Fairey knew Bryant from designing the KB24 website logo and was asked by Upper Deck to create the portrait at Bryant's own request, giving the work rare personal provenance. At an edition of just 50 and an original price of $950, it sits far apart from Fairey's accessible $40 to $50 screen prints, signaling a premium, collector-grade release. The source emphasizes these are traditional fine art lithographs with beautiful pigment density rather than offset prints, underscoring their elevated production. The two-edition structure, KOBE and MVP, with a portion dual-signed by both Bryant and Fairey, heightens collector interest. For collectors, this print matters as a scarce crossover between Fairey's art and sports memorabilia, carrying appeal both to Fairey followers and to Kobe Bryant collectors, a combination that few works in his catalog offer.
Collector Perspective
Kobe Bryant - Kobe appeals to a dual audience: Fairey collectors seeking scarce, premium works and sports-memorabilia collectors drawn to Kobe Bryant. The very small edition of 50, the elevated original price, and the traditional fine-art-lithograph production set it apart from his accessible screen prints as a collector-grade piece. The source notes a portion of the edition is signed by both Bryant and Fairey, with all signed by Fairey, which adds significant appeal for autograph-focused buyers. The larger 20 x 30 inch format makes a strong statement piece. It fits collections built around portraits and legacy, sports icons, or Fairey's higher-end commissioned works, and pairs directly with the companion MVP edition.
Historical Context
Kobe Bryant - Kobe dates to November 2008 and represents a premium, commission-driven branch of Shepard Fairey's output. Published by Upper Deck rather than Obey Giant, it grew out of Fairey's prior work designing the logo for Bryant's KB24 website and was made at Bryant's request, per the source. The work departs from Fairey's high-volume, low-price screen-print model: it is a traditional fine art lithograph in an edition of 50, produced in two named versions, KOBE and MVP. Within his arc, it shows Fairey extending his iconic portrait style into the realm of sports celebrity and premium collectible production, a relatively uncommon move in his catalog. The dual-signing arrangement with Bryant further distinguishes it, situating the print at the intersection of fine art, celebrity portraiture, and high-end sports memorabilia.
FAQ
How did the Kobe Bryant portrait come about?
Per the source, Fairey was asked by Upper Deck to create a portrait of Kobe Bryant at Bryant's request. Fairey already knew Bryant from working on the logo for his KB24 website, which led to this commissioned fine art lithograph portrait of the basketball icon.
How large is the edition and what did it cost?
The KOBE edition was produced in an edition of 50 at an original price of $950, per the source. This small edition and elevated price set it well apart from Fairey's typical accessible screen prints, marking it as a premium collector-grade release.
Is the print signed?
According to the source, two editions were produced, KOBE and MVP, each limited. A portion of the editions was signed by both Kobe Bryant and Shepard Fairey, and all were signed by Fairey. This makes the dual-signed examples especially notable for collectors.
What medium and dimensions does it use?
The source describes these as traditional fine art lithographs with beautiful pigment density, explicitly not offset lithography. The print measures 20 x 30 inches and was published by Upper Deck in 2008.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.