Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Radical Kinship”?
Artist Statement
Radical Kinship. 18 x 24 inches. Screenprint on cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey and Father Greg Boyle. Numbered edition of 400. $60 per print. I made this art because I'm incredibly inspired by Father Greg Boyle who's spirit and dedication have helped to build an ecosystem that gives opportunities to people who frequently find doors closed elsewhere. Homeboy provides a second chance to people who never had a first chance. In this painting, I wanted to convey Father Greg's vision, as well as the love, trust, and camaraderie that exemplify the culture of Homeboy. The pride people feel at Homeboy is palpable and the art I created is meant to illustrate the power of support, healing, and redemption. When I showed the art to Father Greg, he seemed genuinely moved, but he seemed far more excited to call Cesar, the homeboy he is embracing in the image, into the room to share the art with him. Cesar's reaction to the art was enthusiastic… his eyes lit up, and he said: "wow, that looks like it was done by the guy who did the Obama poster." I raised my hand, said that I was the artist, and Cesar and I shook hands. I was flattered that it was a big deal to him that I had created the Obama Hope poster, but what I realized was how much closer to my heart and personal ideals the Homeboy art is for me than the Obama poster is. The Hope poster, though I'm very proud of it, is a political poster and politics are about compromise and popularity. To me, Homeboy and Father Greg are about uncompromising love, radical kinship, and belief in human potential no matter how stigmatized, politically controversial, or written-off that human being may be. Father Greg is a role model for my vision of the world and leader who courageously rises above politics. – Shepard
Summary
Radical Kinship is a 2018 screen print by Shepard Fairey on cream Speckletone paper, measuring 18 x 24 inches. Published by Obey Giant, it is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Father Greg Boyle and numbered in an edition of 400. Per Fairey's statement, the work honors Father Greg Boyle and Homeboy Industries, depicting Father Greg embracing a homeboy named Cesar and conveying themes of love, trust, support, healing, and redemption. Fairey describes the piece as closer to his personal ideals than his Obama Hope poster, illustrating belief in human potential regardless of stigma or controversy.
Why It Matters
Radical Kinship is distinguished by its dual signatures, Shepard Fairey and Father Greg Boyle, and by an unusually personal artist statement that frames the work as closer to Fairey's heart than his famous Obama Hope poster. Fairey created the piece to honor Father Greg Boyle and Homeboy Industries, the organization that gives second chances to people who often find doors closed elsewhere. He describes wanting to convey the love, trust, and camaraderie of Homeboy's culture and the power of support, healing, and redemption. The image depicts Father Greg embracing Cesar, a real homeboy, and Fairey recounts a moving exchange in which Cesar recognized him as the Obama poster artist. That documented backstory gives the print exceptional narrative and emotional depth, tying it to a recognized social-justice mission rather than a partisan campaign. The dual signature is rare in Fairey's catalog and adds collecting significance. At 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 400 on cream Speckletone paper, it remains accessible while carrying a uniquely heartfelt provenance. For collectors who value Fairey's humanitarian and community-focused work, Radical Kinship stands out as a sincere, story-rich statement that Fairey himself elevates above his most iconic image.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who value Fairey's humanitarian and community-focused side and to those drawn to works with documented, personal backstories. The dual signature by Fairey and Father Greg Boyle is a distinctive feature that elevates it above a standard solo edition. At 18 x 24 inches on cream Speckletone paper with an edition of 400 and an accessible original price, it is an approachable acquisition that nonetheless carries unusual emotional and narrative weight. It fits collections centered on social justice, redemption, and activism, and serves as a meaningful conversation piece given Fairey's own statement placing it above the Obama poster in personal significance. Its sincerity and provenance make it a rewarding hold for collectors prioritizing story over scale.
Historical Context
Released in April 2018, Radical Kinship reflects Fairey's recurring practice of using his art to support social-justice organizations, here Father Greg Boyle's Homeboy Industries, which provides second chances to formerly incarcerated and gang-involved individuals. The dual signature with Father Greg Boyle situates the print as a collaborative tribute rather than a standard Obey Giant release. Fairey's accompanying statement, in which he contrasts the uncompromising love and radical kinship of Homeboy with the compromise and popularity inherent in political work, offers rare insight into his personal values during this period. The piece extends his long arc of community-engaged and humanitarian art, demonstrating how Fairey channeled his graphic practice toward causes he found more personally meaningful than even his most iconic political imagery.
FAQ
Who signed Radical Kinship?
The print is signed by both Shepard Fairey and Father Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries. This dual signature is a distinctive feature and reflects the work's role as a tribute to Father Greg and the Homeboy community.
What is the story behind the image?
Per Fairey's statement, the work honors Father Greg Boyle and Homeboy Industries, depicting Father Greg embracing a homeboy named Cesar. Fairey aimed to convey love, trust, support, healing, and redemption, and the power of belief in human potential regardless of stigma.
How does Fairey compare it to the Obama poster?
In his statement, Fairey says the Homeboy art is closer to his heart and personal ideals than the Obama Hope poster, which he calls a political poster about compromise and popularity. He frames Radical Kinship around uncompromising love and radical kinship.
What are the size and edition?
It measures 18 x 24 inches, is a screen print on cream Speckletone paper, and is numbered in an edition of 400. This accessible format and edition size make it an approachable acquisition despite its uniquely personal provenance.
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.