Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey X Kai & Sunny (Black & Silver)”?
Artist Statement
We are showing Kai & Sunny this weekend at Subliminal projects and their work is amazing. I was fortunate enough to do a print collaboration with them and it turned out very beautifully. There are two color ways in the screen print edition: black and silver, and black and light gold. The metallic is more luminous than most and has to be seen in person. The print is on premium rag paper with deckled edges and there is an embossed Kai & Sunny logo in the lower right. The prints are signed and numbered by Kai & Sunny and me. The whole Kai & Sunny ”Caught By The Nest” show is gorgeous and is a must see. I hope to see you Saturday! A limited quantity of both editions will be available at the Opening Reception for in-person purchases ONLY. OBEY GIANT will be releasing the full editions online on September 12th, 2013 at a Random Time. Each print is $125 and will be limited to 1 print per person/per household. For more information please visit the OG website. -Shepard Kai & Sunny x Shepard Fairey Collaborative Print Black & Silver Stardust Black & Gold Stardust Hand pulled 2 colour screen print On 100% cotton somerset satin 300 gsm Unframed: 57 x 76 cm (22.4 x 29.9 Inch) Edition of 200 (both editions) S&N by Kai & Sunny and Shepard $125
Summary
Obey X Kai & Sunny is a 2013 hand-pulled two-color screen print created as a collaboration between Shepard Fairey and the artist duo Kai & Sunny. Printed on 100% cotton Somerset Satin 300 gsm rag paper with deckled edges, it measures 57 x 76 cm (about 22.4 x 29.9 inches) and carries an embossed Kai & Sunny logo in the lower right. It was issued in two metallic colorways, black and silver and black and light gold, in a combined edition of 200, signed and numbered by Kai & Sunny and Fairey. Released September 12, 2013 by Subliminal Projects at $125, it coincided with the duo's Caught By The Nest show.
Why It Matters
This release exemplifies how Fairey uses collaboration to cross-pollinate his OBEY visual language with other artists' sensibilities. Partnering with the British duo Kai & Sunny for their Caught By The Nest exhibition at Subliminal Projects, Fairey produced a print that foregrounds craft: hand-pulled printing, a luminous metallic ink described as more reflective than most, premium 300 gsm cotton Somerset Satin stock, and deckled edges, finished with an embossed Kai & Sunny logo. These material choices, plus the dual signing by all three artists, signal a work positioned as a refined gallery object rather than a quick street release. For collectors, the two metallic colorways within a combined edition of 200 create natural pairing and variant-hunting appeal, while the Subliminal Projects publishing line ties it to Fairey's own Los Angeles gallery program. It matters as a documented exhibition collaboration that shows Fairey supporting and amplifying other artists through his platform, and as an example of his more decorative, pattern-forward output rather than his overtly political work. The emphasis on seeing the metallic in person also underscores how much of the print's impact lives in its physical surface.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors of Fairey collaborations, fans of Kai & Sunny, and buyers drawn to fine-craft editions with metallic inks, premium rag paper, and deckled edges. The two colorways, black and silver and black and light gold, invite collectors to acquire a matched pair or choose a preferred metallic, and the triple signature by Kai & Sunny and Fairey strengthens its appeal as a documented exhibition collaboration. Its luminous surface and larger 57 x 76 cm format make it a statement piece for display, best appreciated in person where the metallic catches light. Within a collection it fits a collaboration or OBEY-adjacent grouping and pairs well with other Subliminal Projects and collaborative releases of the era.
Historical Context
Obey X Kai & Sunny was published by Subliminal Projects, Fairey's Los Angeles gallery, to accompany Kai & Sunny's 2013 Caught By The Nest exhibition, placing it within Fairey's role as a gallerist and collaborator as much as an artist. It belongs to a stretch of 2013 collaborative releases in which Fairey worked across his OBEY iconography and other artists' styles, producing editions that leaned toward pattern, texture, and material refinement rather than message-driven imagery. The print's emphasis on hand-pulled production, metallic inks, and embossing reflects the more craft-oriented, decorative side of his practice during this period. As a Subliminal Projects release tied to a specific show, it documents the gallery's program of pairing visiting artists with Fairey on limited prints.
FAQ
Who is this print a collaboration with?
It is a collaboration between Shepard Fairey and the artist duo Kai & Sunny, created to coincide with their Caught By The Nest exhibition. It is signed and numbered by both Kai & Sunny and Fairey, and carries an embossed Kai & Sunny logo in the lower right.
What are the two colorways and the edition size?
The print was issued in two metallic colorways: black and silver, and black and light gold (described as Stardust). The edition of 200 covers both colorways combined. It was released September 12, 2013 at $125, limited to one per person or household.
What paper and dimensions does it use?
It is a hand-pulled two-color screen print on 100% cotton Somerset Satin 300 gsm rag paper with deckled edges. Unframed it measures 57 x 76 cm, roughly 22.4 x 29.9 inches.
Who published it?
It was published by Subliminal Projects, Fairey's Los Angeles gallery, where it was released during the opening reception for the Kai & Sunny show, with full editions made available online via the Obey Giant website.
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.