Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Nubian Sign”?
Artist Statement
NUBIAN SIGN Screen Print 18 x 24 inches Edition of 140
Summary
Nubian Sign is a 2000 screen print by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 140 at 18 x 24 inches, with a listed original price of $25. It belongs to Fairey's early Obey Giant output classified under collaborations and pop culture. The supplied record provides only catalog facts and no narrative description of the imagery, so visual interpretation is held cautiously. As a small-edition early-era screen print, it forms part of the foundational catalog from Fairey's formative studio years around 2000.
Why It Matters
Nubian Sign is one of the early-2000s Obey Giant screen prints that collectively built Fairey's print catalog as he transitioned from street campaigns to a sustained studio practice. With a tight first edition of 140 and a documented original price of $25, it reflects the modest release economics and limited runs of the period, qualities that appeal to collectors who value the early OBEY years for both scarcity and provenance. Classified under collaborations and pop culture, it sits within the same 2000 cluster as Old School Pasters, Worker, and Mailman, sharing their publisher, medium, and format. For a knowledge graph, its importance is largely in completeness, documenting a specific, authentic node in Fairey's early chronology rather than a single famous image. Because the source omits any description of the imagery, claims about its symbolism or message are held cautious here, and the record is treated as sparse. What is firmly supported is its identity as a small-edition, dated, early-era Obey Giant screen print, valuable to collectors mapping the full arc of Fairey's foundational studio period and seeking period-matched works to complete a chronological grouping.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to completists and early-OBEY specialists assembling a chronological Obey Giant archive. The first edition of 140 is comparatively small, and the documented $25 original price is a useful provenance detail. At 18 x 24 inches, it is an accessible, frame-friendly size that displays cohesively with other 2000-era Fairey prints in a period-matched grouping. Its appeal lies in completeness and authenticity rather than a marquee image. Because the source provides no description of the imagery, prospective buyers should confirm the visual details directly before purchasing, and interpretive confidence is held lower accordingly.
Historical Context
Dated 2000, Nubian Sign belongs to the early Obey Giant studio period when Fairey was consolidating his print output after years of street-level sticker and poster work. It sits among the cluster of 2000 screen prints, alongside Old School Pasters, Worker, and Mailman, that established his print catalog and shared the publisher, medium, and small-edition format. Predating his later widely recognized political imagery, it forms part of the foundational body of work collectors use to trace Fairey's early trajectory from guerrilla wheatpasting toward a structured fine-art practice.
FAQ
When was Nubian Sign made and what is its edition size?
It was created in 2000 and published by Obey Giant in a first edition of 140. The small run places it among the more limited early-era Fairey screen prints, appealing to collectors who value scarcity and completeness within the foundational catalog.
What was its original price?
The record lists an original price of $25, reflecting the modest release economics of Obey Giant in 2000. This is a historical provenance detail only and does not indicate any current or resale value.
What are the medium and dimensions?
It is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches, the standard early-2000s poster format Fairey used across many Obey Giant releases. The size makes it easy to frame and group with other period-matched works.
Is the imagery described in the record?
No. The source provides only catalog facts with no narrative description of the visual content. Interpretive claims are therefore held cautiously, and buyers should confirm the actual imagery directly before purchase.
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.