What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Universal Personhood”?

Artist Statement

Universal Personhood 18 x 24 inches Edition of 450 $45

Summary

Universal Personhood is a 2013 screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, published by Obey Giant as a First Edition of 450 at $45. The record provides only minimal descriptive detail: title, dimensions, edition size and price. Beyond these source facts, the print's specific imagery and message are not described in the supplied data, so it is documented here primarily by its medium, format and edition. It belongs to Fairey's 2013 Obey Giant output and shares a title and concept with later related releases in his catalogue.

Why It Matters

Universal Personhood is recorded here with limited descriptive source material, so its significance is framed cautiously and grounded in what the record confirms. The title itself points to themes of shared human dignity and equal standing that recur across Fairey's socially engaged work, but the supplied data does not detail the specific imagery or statement, so those readings remain interpretive rather than documented. What the record does establish is that the print became the seed of a small recurring strand in Fairey's catalogue: related candidates include a Universal Personhood Set, an artist proof, and a later Lisbon version, indicating the concept was revisited over several years. For collectors, that continuity is the clearest reason the original 2013 edition matters, as it represents the first appearance of an idea Fairey returned to. As a standard 18 x 24 inch Obey Giant screen print in an edition of 450, it fits the accessible, mid-size format common to his releases of this period. Its importance should be weighed modestly given the thin source description, with appeal resting on its place as the originating version of the Universal Personhood concept.

Collector Perspective

This print suits collectors who follow Fairey's recurring concepts and want the originating 2013 version of Universal Personhood, which he later revisited in a set, an artist proof and a Lisbon edition. At 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 450, it is an accessible, standard-format Obey Giant screen print that fits comfortably alongside other works from the period. Because the supplied description is sparse, buyers drawn to it tend to value its place within the Universal Personhood strand and its connection to related releases rather than a documented narrative. It works best in a collection organized around Fairey's themes of human dignity or around tracking a single concept across its later iterations.

Historical Context

Released in 2013 under Obey Giant, Universal Personhood belongs to a prolific stretch of Fairey's editioned screen-print output. While the supplied record does not detail its imagery, the title aligns with the themes of equality and shared humanity that thread through his catalogue. Its significance within his arc is reinforced by the later works that share the name, including a set, an artist proof and a Lisbon version, suggesting the concept resonated enough to be revisited. The original edition thus marks the first appearance of a motif Fairey continued to develop, situating it as a starting point within an ongoing series rather than a one-off release.

FAQ

Related Works

Universal Personhood Set2015 · Later set built on the same Universal Personhood concept

Universal Personhood Lisbon2018 · Later Lisbon version of the same title

Universal Personhood2018 · Artist proof tied directly to this concept

Pedestal2013 · Same-year 2013 Obey Giant release

Berlin Tower2013 · Same-year 2013 print from the period