Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Ai Wei Wei X Cost Of Expression”?
Artist Statement
This coming Tuesday, April 8th, the Ai Weiwei, Cost of Expression, print created by Shepard Fairey will be for sale on our website. The Cost of Expression print will be available as a limited edition of 375. Check back Tuesday between 1 and 2pm! “I admire Ai Weiwei for his art and his activism. His art is beautiful in form, and in function embodies the principles of populism and social consciousness I aspire to in my own practice. This poster is a tribute to Ai Weiwei’s art, his courage to be outspoken, and in support of his ongoing political struggle with the Chinese government. I hope the image will help raise awareness and advance dialogue that might lead to permission for Ai Weiwei to travel freely and continue to express himself.” – Shepard Shepard is donating 100 prints to support the Brooklyn Museum, which will present an Ai Weiwei retrospective exhibition, “Ai Weiwei: According to What?” from April 18 through August 10, 2014. Thanks to Pace Prints for their support. Cost of Expression Screen Print 18 x 24 Edition of 375 2014 $60
Summary
Ai Wei Wei X Cost Of Expression is a 2014 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a limited first edition of 375 at 18 x 24 inches, priced at $60. The print is a portrait tribute to Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, honoring his art and his outspoken stance against censorship. Per the source, Fairey donated 100 prints to support the Brooklyn Museum's Ai Weiwei retrospective, "Ai Weiwei: According to What?" (April 18 to August 10, 2014), with support from Pace Prints. The work foregrounds free expression and human-rights themes.
Why It Matters
This print is one of Fairey's most pointed artist-to-artist tributes, honoring Ai Weiwei as both a creative force and a political dissident. In the source, Fairey praises Ai's art for embodying the populism and social consciousness he aspires to in his own practice, and frames the poster as supporting Ai's courage to be outspoken and his ongoing struggle with the Chinese government. That makes the work a clear statement on free expression, human rights, and the cost of dissent, themes that recur across Fairey's catalog. Its significance is amplified by the institutional connection: Fairey donated 100 prints to the Brooklyn Museum's Ai Weiwei retrospective, and the source credits Pace Prints for their support, situating the release within a major museum moment rather than a standalone drop. The edition of 375 is smaller than many of Fairey's runs, giving it added scarcity. For collectors, the work carries meaning on two fronts: it documents solidarity between two internationally significant political artists, and it ties to a landmark exhibition. The convergence of subject, cause, and institutional backing makes it a substantive piece in Fairey's human-rights output rather than a decorative portrait.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to collectors focused on Fairey's activist and human-rights work, and to admirers of Ai Weiwei who want a fine-art crossover piece. The artist-to-artist tribute and the documented tie to the Brooklyn Museum retrospective give it narrative depth that rewards collectors who value context and provenance. At 18 x 24 inches it frames easily and slots into thematic groupings on free expression, censorship, and political dissent. The edition of 375 is modest enough to add scarcity appeal without putting it out of reach for mid-level buyers, and the original $60 price point reflected accessibility at release. It displays powerfully alongside Fairey's peace and human-rights prints, anchoring a politically minded collection with a globally resonant subject.
Historical Context
Released April 8, 2014, this print belongs to Fairey's politically engaged mid-2010s period, when he frequently used releases to spotlight specific causes and figures. The work coincided with and supported the Brooklyn Museum's Ai Weiwei retrospective, "Ai Weiwei: According to What?," running April 18 to August 10, 2014, with Fairey donating 100 prints and Pace Prints providing support per the source. It reflects Fairey's solidarity with fellow political artists and his recurring engagement with free expression and human rights. Within his arc, it stands as a tribute that links his street-rooted populism to an internationally prominent dissident, reinforcing the activist core of his practice during this era.
FAQ
Who is the subject of this print?
The print is a tribute to Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. In the source, Fairey says he admires Ai for his art and activism, and that the poster supports Ai's courage to be outspoken and his ongoing political struggle with the Chinese government, aiming to raise awareness and advance dialogue.
What is the edition size and price?
According to the source, Cost of Expression was released as a limited edition of 375 at 18 x 24 inches, priced at $60. The edition is smaller than many of Fairey's runs, giving the work added scarcity within his catalog.
Was this print tied to a museum exhibition?
Yes. The source states Fairey donated 100 prints to support the Brooklyn Museum, which presented the Ai Weiwei retrospective "Ai Weiwei: According to What?" from April 18 through August 10, 2014. Pace Prints is credited for their support of the project.
When was the print released?
Per the source, the print went on sale on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, through the Obey Giant website, available between 1 and 2pm. It was published by Obey Giant as a first 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.