Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Japanese Pattern 2 (Black)”?
Artist Statement
Japanese Pattern 2 (Black / Black-Red / Red) Size: 18 x 18 Edition: 75 On Sale: 06/02/09
Summary
Japanese Pattern 2 (Black) is a 2009 screen print published by Obey Giant in an edition of 75, measuring 18 x 18 inches and priced at $30, released June 2, 2009. Part of a set issued in Black, Black/Red, and Red colorways, this Black version applies Fairey's decorative, pattern-driven approach to Japanese-inspired motifs. The square format and ornamental design foreground symmetry, line, and repetition rather than portraiture or overt politics. With a small edition of 75, it is among the more limited offerings in Fairey's 2009 pattern output, built around decorative graphic motif and flat color.
Why It Matters
Japanese Pattern 2 (Black) belongs to Fairey's ornamental pattern prints, a design-driven thread that showcases his roots in graphic design and decorative composition rather than slogan-based imagery. Drawing on Japanese-inspired motifs, the work emphasizes symmetry, repetition, and flat color in a compact square format, demonstrating the breadth of Fairey's visual vocabulary. For collectors, the small edition of 75 is meaningful: it is far tighter than the 450 to 500 runs of his portrait and music prints from the same year, giving the pattern works real scarcity within his 2009 catalog. The multi-colorway release (Black, Black/Red, Red) invites set-building among completists who want the full variant family. At an accessible $30 release price, the print also represents an entry point for newer collectors who want a hand-signed Fairey screen print without the cost of his marquee portraits. Aesthetically, the pattern format gives it strong decorative versatility, fitting easily into interiors and pairing with other ornamental and mandala prints. It captures the quieter, design-forward side of Fairey's practice while retaining his characteristic precision and bold graphic clarity.
Collector Perspective
Japanese Pattern 2 (Black) appeals to collectors who favor Fairey's decorative and ornamental output and to those seeking smaller, scarcer editions within his catalog. The compact 18 x 18 inch square format makes it flexible for gallery walls and grouped arrangements. With an edition of just 75 and a low $30 original price, it offers accessible scarcity that attracts both newer buyers and pattern specialists. Variant collectors will pursue the Black, Black/Red, and Red colorways as a set. It groups naturally with Fairey's other pattern and ornamental prints, supporting a focused decorative subcollection that complements his portrait and political works.
Historical Context
Released June 2, 2009 by Obey Giant, Japanese Pattern 2 (Black) reflects Fairey's continued production of decorative pattern prints alongside his political and music output during a prolific post-HOPE period. These ornamental works, often issued in small editions and multiple colorways, draw on his background in graphic design and his interest in motifs from various visual traditions. The small edition of 75 and modest $30 price situate it within the accessible, design-forward segment of his catalog. Pattern prints like this connect to a recurring decorative strand across his career, from earlier ornamental sets to later mandala and parlor-pattern works, showing a sustained engagement with symmetry and repetition.
FAQ
How large is the edition of Japanese Pattern 2 (Black)?
The edition is 75, one of the smaller Fairey screen print runs from 2009. This is significantly tighter than the 450 to 500 runs typical of his portrait and music prints from the same year, giving the pattern works relative scarcity within his catalog.
What colorways and dimensions does it have?
The source notes Black, Black/Red, and Red versions. This Black edition measures 18 x 18 inches, a compact square format. The multiple colorways make the design attractive to collectors who pursue complete variant sets across a single pattern.
What was the original price and release date?
It was priced at $30 and went on sale June 2, 2009, per the source. The low price point makes it an accessible entry into Fairey's signed screen print output for newer collectors and pattern specialists alike.
What does the print depict?
The print is a decorative, Japanese-inspired pattern composition that foregrounds symmetry, repetition, and flat color rather than portraiture or political imagery. It belongs to Fairey's ornamental, design-forward body of work.
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.