Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Peace Guard”?
Artist Statement
This print is a collaboration with NYC-Based Photographer and Filmmaker Kai Regan. Shepard used a photograph of a model that Kai shot as the subject of this illustration and print. The print is an Edition of 450, 18 x 24, and is $50. It will be available for sale 12/3/08
Summary
Peace Guard is a 2008 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in an edition of 450 at 18 x 24 inches and priced at $50. It is a collaboration with NYC-based photographer and filmmaker Kai Regan, with Fairey building the illustration from a photograph of a model Regan shot. The print became available December 3, 2008. Combining a photographic source with Fairey's stylized illustration, the work pairs a peace-themed subject with his graphic vocabulary, reflecting both his collaborative practice and his recurring peace and anti-war messaging.
Why It Matters
Peace Guard exemplifies Shepard Fairey's collaborative working method, where he transforms another artist's photograph into his own stylized illustration. Here the source is a model photographed by NYC-based photographer and filmmaker Kai Regan, and the resulting print blends Regan's photographic base with Fairey's bold graphic treatment. This kind of photo-to-illustration translation is central to Fairey's portrait practice and gives the work documentary interest as a record of his process. Thematically it carries peace and anti-war undertones, aligning with a long-running thread in his catalog and giving the image meaning beyond its striking figure. For collectors, the appeal lies in its dual identity: a genuine Fairey screen print and a credited collaboration with a working photographer, which broadens its provenance and story. The edition of 450 at an accessible $50 release price reflects Fairey's typical approach of keeping work attainable. The 18 x 24 inch format makes it a manageable, displayable size. As a 2008 collaboration that fuses portraiture, photographic sourcing and peace themes, it sits comfortably among the most representative examples of how Fairey works with outside collaborators.
Collector Perspective
Peace Guard attracts collectors interested in Fairey's collaborative prints and in works that document his photo-to-illustration process, here with photographer Kai Regan. Those drawn to his peace and anti-war themes will value the subject, while collectors of his portrait-based imagery appreciate the stylized figure. The edition of 450 makes it reasonably available, and the 18 x 24 inch size suits collectors seeking a displayable piece that fits varied spaces. Its credited collaboration adds provenance interest and a richer backstory than a solo release. It pairs well with Fairey's other peace-themed and Kai Regan collaboration prints, making it a coherent addition to collections built around either his collaborative practice or his peace messaging.
Historical Context
Peace Guard dates to December 2008, part of Fairey's prolific late-2000s output during his peak national visibility. It belongs to his ongoing series of collaborations in which he reworks photographers' images, in this case Kai Regan's, into screen prints, a method that recurs across his portrait-based releases of the period. The peace and anti-war undercurrent connects it to a theme Fairey returned to throughout his career, from earlier peace imagery to later sequels. Notably the source group includes a Peace Guard 2 from 2016, indicating the image spawned a later companion. The print sits within his Obama-era collaborative and pop-culture catalog rather than his early guerrilla street work.
FAQ
Who collaborated with Fairey on Peace Guard?
Peace Guard is a collaboration with NYC-based photographer and filmmaker Kai Regan. Fairey used a photograph of a model that Regan shot as the basis for his illustration and print, crediting Regan as the source of the underlying image and making this a documented collaborative work.
What are the edition details?
Peace Guard is a screen print in an edition of 450, measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant and priced at $50. It became available for sale on December 3, 2008. The source confirms these production details for the first edition.
Is there a sequel to Peace Guard?
Yes. A later work titled Peace Guard 2 was released in 2016, indicating Fairey revisited the image. The original 2008 Peace Guard remains the first edition tied to the Kai Regan collaboration, with the 2016 piece serving as a companion follow-up.
What themes does the print address?
The source assigns it a peace and anti-war secondary theme alongside its collaborative origin. The image pairs Fairey's stylized illustration of Regan's photographed model with peace-oriented messaging, placing it within his long-running thread of peace and anti-war themed prints.
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.