Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Peace & Justice Collaboration (First Edition)”?
Artist Statement
About a year ago I had the opportunity to collaborate on a mural in Miami during the Art Basel weekend with graffiti legend and friend, RISK. Surprisingly this was the first time we had the chance to collaborate and it was a true honor. RISK went down to Miami first and laid a beautiful spectrum and I came a few days later with my crew and painted in the cream details. The mural turned out so well that RISK and I decided to collaborate once again and turn the mural concept into a HPM (Hand Painted Multiple) Edition. RISK hand painted the background with his custom color fades and geometric shapes/patterns over my collage then we screen printed the imagery on top and varnished the whole thing. Each of the pieces has unique details. The Edition looks amazing! Oh, they are also signed by both of us. We are going to be releasing the 1st half of the edition on OBEY this coming Tuesday and the other half on Buckshot Prints at a later date, so stay tuned for info their release. Peace and Justice Collaboration HPM, Hand Painted Multiple Mixed Media Collage, Spray Paint, and Silk Screen on Paper 11.5 inches x 49 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey and RISK Edition of 40, deckled edges $2200. Ships flat with Certificate of Authenticity. Release Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at 10am PST
Summary
Peace & Justice Collaboration is a 2013 Hand Painted Multiple (HPM) created with graffiti artist RISK, evolving from a mural the two painted together in Miami during Art Basel weekend. Each piece combines mixed-media collage, spray paint, and silk screen on paper. RISK hand painted the backgrounds with custom color fades and geometric patterns over Fairey's collage, the imagery was then screen printed on top and varnished, so each example carries unique details. Measuring 11.5 x 49 inches with deckled edges, it was issued in an edition of 40 signed by both artists, priced at $2,200, shipping flat with a Certificate of Authenticity. It released October 8, 2013.
Why It Matters
This HPM is a standout because each example is genuinely one of a kind, translating a collaborative Miami mural into a hand-finished editioned object. The partnership with graffiti legend RISK, described by Fairey as their first collaboration and a true honor, brings together two distinct visual languages: RISK's custom color fades and geometric patterns and Fairey's collage and screen-printed imagery, layered and varnished into a single panoramic piece. The Hand Painted Multiple format, with unique hand-painted details on every one of the 40 pieces, places it well above a standard open or numbered screen print in both labor and value, reflected in its $2,200 release price and inclusion of a Certificate of Authenticity. Its unusual elongated 11.5 x 49 inch format and deckled edges reinforce its gallery-object status. For collectors, it represents Fairey at his most material and collaborative, where the work originates in public mural-making and is then distilled into a limited hand-finished edition. The split release across OBEY and Buckshot Prints further marks it as a considered, multi-channel collector release rather than a routine drop.
Collector Perspective
This piece targets serious collectors of Fairey's hand-finished work, RISK followers, and buyers who prize one-of-a-kind HPM editions over standard screen prints. The unique hand-painted details on each of the 40 pieces, the dual signatures, and the included Certificate of Authenticity make it a provenance-rich, higher-tier acquisition. Its panoramic 11.5 x 49 inch format with deckled edges makes a dramatic horizontal display statement, well suited to a feature wall. As a small edition tied to a documented Art Basel mural collaboration, it fits a collaboration or premium-works grouping and pairs with Fairey's other RISK-adjacent and hand-finished releases. The original $2,200 price reflects its standing as a flagship collaborative object rather than an entry-level print.
Historical Context
Peace & Justice Collaboration grew out of a mural Fairey and RISK painted in Miami during Art Basel weekend roughly a year before the 2013 release, marking what Fairey describes as their first collaboration. It exemplifies his recurring practice of converting public mural concepts into limited Hand Painted Multiples, bridging street work and the gallery edition. The labor-intensive process, RISK's hand-painted color fades and geometric patterns beneath Fairey's collage and screen-printed imagery, all varnished, situates it among his most craft-heavy 2013 outputs. Released across two channels, OBEY and the later Buckshot Prints drop, it reflects his multi-platform distribution strategy for premium editions and his ongoing collaborations with established graffiti figures during this period.
FAQ
What makes each piece unique?
It is a Hand Painted Multiple. RISK hand painted each background with custom color fades and geometric shapes and patterns over Fairey's collage, then the imagery was screen printed on top and varnished. As a result, each of the 40 pieces has unique hand-painted details.
How did this work originate?
It grew out of a mural Fairey and RISK painted together in Miami during Art Basel weekend about a year before the release. RISK laid a spectrum background and Fairey added cream details; the two then turned the mural concept into this HPM edition.
What are the edition size, size, and price?
It is an edition of 40, measuring 11.5 x 49 inches with deckled edges, signed by both Shepard Fairey and RISK. It was priced at $2,200, shipped flat with a Certificate of Authenticity, and released October 8, 2013.
What media were used?
Each piece combines mixed-media collage, spray paint, and silk screen on paper, finished with varnish. The medium is described as a Hand Painted Multiple (HPM), distinguishing it from a standard screen print edition.
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.