Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Chinese Banner (Letterpress)”?
Artist Statement
1 color Letterpress on 100% cotton Lettre paper, 110# with deckled edges. Signed and numbered edition of 400. OBEY publishing chop on left corner. 10 inches x 13 inches, frame ready. Ships rolled. $60
Summary
Chinese Banner (Letterpress) is a 2014 Shepard Fairey letterpress edition published by Obey Giant. It measures 10 x 13 inches and is a signed and numbered first edition of 400, printed in one color on 100% cotton Lettre paper, 110# with deckled edges and an OBEY publishing chop on the left corner. Described as frame-ready and shipped rolled, it had a $60 release price. The source notes a primary theme of pop culture and a secondary theme of consumerism and power, consistent with Fairey's propaganda-styled imagery, though it provides limited detail on the specific image.
Why It Matters
Chinese Banner (Letterpress) belongs to Fairey's letterpress strand, a tactile, craft-forward format he uses to render his propaganda-derived imagery on heavyweight cotton paper with deckled edges and his OBEY publishing chop. The letterpress process, stated in the source, distinguishes these works from his standard screen prints and appeals to collectors who value printmaking technique and physical object quality. The Chinese banner motif aligns with Fairey's longstanding visual borrowing from socialist and propaganda design traditions, repurposed within his consumerism-and-power critique as noted in the source's secondary theme. At a modest 10 x 13 inch size and an edition of 400, it is an accessible, frame-ready collectible that fits easily into a wall grouping. For a database, it documents Fairey's mid-2010s expansion into letterpress editions, a coherent sub-series that includes companion works like the Chinese Soldiers letterpress and other 2015 and 2016 letterpress releases. Its value lies less in scale or rarity and more in its place within this distinct production format and within his ongoing engagement with propaganda iconography. The OBEY chop and archival cotton paper reinforce its identity as a deliberately crafted small-format edition rather than a mass poster.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who appreciate printmaking craft and the tactile qualities of letterpress on heavyweight cotton paper. Its modest 10 x 13 inch size and frame-ready, deckled-edge presentation make it an easy, affordable addition for collectors building a set of Fairey's letterpress editions or his propaganda-styled small formats. The OBEY publishing chop adds a mark of provenance that detail-oriented buyers value. It fits a collection organized around format-based grouping, especially alongside the closely related Chinese Soldiers letterpress and other letterpress works from 2015 and 2016. The edition of 400 keeps it relatively available, and its small scale suits collectors with limited wall space or those assembling a coordinated cluster of letterpress pieces.
Historical Context
Chinese Banner (Letterpress) sits within Fairey's mid-2010s development of letterpress editions, a tactile format that complemented his more numerous screen prints. Released in 2014 through Obey Giant, it reflects his interest in printmaking craft and in repurposing socialist and propaganda design motifs within a consumerism-and-power framework. The Chinese banner imagery connects to his broader visual vocabulary drawn from authoritarian and revolutionary poster traditions, turned toward critique. It belongs to a coherent run of letterpress works that includes the companion Chinese Soldiers letterpress and later 2015 and 2016 letterpress editions, all sharing the cotton Lettre paper, deckled edges, and OBEY chop. Within his arc, it documents a format-driven sub-series rather than a singular thematic statement.
FAQ
What is Chinese Banner (Letterpress)?
It is a 2014 letterpress edition by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant. It measures 10 x 13 inches and was printed in one color on 100% cotton Lettre paper with deckled edges and an OBEY publishing chop on the left corner, at a $60 release price.
How large is the edition?
Per the source, it is a signed and numbered first edition of 400, keeping it relatively available within Fairey's letterpress output.
What makes the letterpress format distinctive?
The source describes a one-color letterpress on 100% cotton Lettre paper, 110# weight, with deckled edges and an OBEY publishing chop. It is frame-ready at 10 x 13 inches and shipped rolled, emphasizing printmaking craft over poster-scale production.
How does it relate to other Fairey works?
It is part of a letterpress sub-series including the companion Chinese Soldiers letterpress from the same year and later letterpress editions from 2015 and 2016, all sharing similar cotton paper, deckled edges, and the OBEY chop.
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.