Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Universal Personhood Lisbon”?
Artist Statement
In a numbing sea of digital screens and pixels, Vhils' street art and fine art demonstrate that literal and symbolic depth still matter. His art is graphically alluring and viscerally tactile, but also existentially provocative because of his simultaneous creation and destruction. I'm inspired by Vhils' work ethic which is manifested in his masterful command of so many techniques and mediums. He's creating sophisticated work for an artist at any age, but especially for such a young guy. His show Annihilation opens at Over The Influence in Los Angeles on Thursday, February 22. Hope you can make it! – Shepard OBEY/Vhils Universal Personhood Lisbon. 24 x 30 inches. Screen print on cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Vhils and Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 450. $120.
Summary
Universal Personhood Lisbon is a 2018 Shepard Fairey screen print created in collaboration with Portuguese street artist Vhils, measuring 24 x 30 inches on cream Speckletone paper. The OBEY/Vhils image merges Fairey's graphic portraiture with Vhils' carved, tactile aesthetic, which Fairey praises for its literal and symbolic depth amid a digital age. Released around Vhils' Annihilation show at Over The Influence in Los Angeles, the print was signed by both Vhils and Shepard Fairey and published by Obey Giant as a numbered edition of 450 at an original price of $120.
Why It Matters
Universal Personhood Lisbon is a notable collaboration between Fairey and Vhils, the Portuguese street artist known for carving portraits directly into walls and surfaces. Fairey's statement praises Vhils for demonstrating that 'literal and symbolic depth still matter' in a world of digital screens, and admires his command of many techniques and his simultaneous creation and destruction. The print marries Fairey's clean graphic vocabulary with Vhils' textural, excavated portrait style, making it a genuine meeting of two distinct street-art sensibilities. Timed to Vhils' Annihilation exhibition at Over The Influence in Los Angeles, it documents a specific moment of cross-artist exchange. For collectors, dual-signed collaborations like this carry added significance, combining two desirable names in a single edition. The larger 24 x 30 inch format gives it strong presence, and as a numbered edition of 450 it offers reasonable availability. It also extends the Universal Personhood title that recurs across Fairey's catalog, connecting this Lisbon edition to earlier works of the same name and reinforcing its place in his portrait and collaboration-focused output.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who seek dual-signed collaborations and works that combine Fairey with other prominent street artists, here Vhils. The fusion of Fairey's graphic style with Vhils' carved, tactile aesthetic gives it distinctive visual interest beyond a standard Fairey portrait. At 24 x 30 inches, the larger format makes it a strong display piece. Collectors assembling the recurring Universal Personhood title across years, or those building a collaboration-focused grouping, will find it especially relevant. With two artists' signatures and a numbered edition of 450 at a moderate original price, it offers an accessible way to own a crossover work that documents a specific moment of street-art exchange.
Historical Context
Released in February 2018 through Obey Giant, Universal Personhood Lisbon coincided with Vhils' Annihilation exhibition at Over The Influence in Los Angeles. It belongs to Fairey's substantial body of collaborative editions, in which he partners with fellow artists and musicians to produce co-signed works. The Universal Personhood title recurs across his catalog in editions dating back to 2013, and this Lisbon version extends that lineage through the lens of a Vhils collaboration. Within Fairey's arc, the print reflects his ongoing engagement with the global street-art community and his interest in tactile, depth-oriented image-making as a counter to digital flatness, pairing his portrait sensibility with Vhils' excavated, materials-driven approach.
FAQ
Who collaborated on this print?
Universal Personhood Lisbon is a collaboration between Shepard Fairey and the Portuguese street artist Vhils. It is signed by both artists. Fairey praises Vhils' carved, tactile street and fine art for demonstrating that literal and symbolic depth still matter in a world dominated by digital screens.
What is the edition size and price?
The OBEY/Vhils print was published by Obey Giant as a numbered edition of 450, signed by both Vhils and Shepard Fairey. It was issued at an original price of $120 and measures 24 x 30 inches on cream Speckletone paper.
What event was the print connected to?
The release coincided with Vhils' exhibition Annihilation, which opened at Over The Influence in Los Angeles in February 2018. Fairey expressed admiration for Vhils' work ethic and his command of many techniques and mediums, encouraging people to attend the show.
How does it relate to other Universal Personhood prints?
The Universal Personhood title recurs across Fairey's catalog, with editions dating back to 2013. This Lisbon version extends that lineage through the Vhils collaboration, connecting it to earlier works of the same name while introducing Vhils' distinctive carved aesthetic.
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.