Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Angela Nubian (Large Format)”?
Artist Statement
The next print in the "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent" print series is "Angela Nubian." Here's how co-curator, Pedro Alonzo explains the work:? In her landmark text, Women, Race and Class, civil rights activist and feminist Angela Davis wrote, "black women bore the terrible burden of equality in oppression." Aware of the persistent obstacles that African-American women face in this country, Davis has long been an advocate for dismantling flawed and superficial views of race and gender. In this print, her portrait contains elements of uncertainty that conveys this duality, her expression either ferocious or restrained depending upon the perspective of the viewer. Still, poised and looking upward, her now iconic Afro, consumes the bold text imprinted atop, which acts as a canvas for the ideals of "Power and Equality" that she promotes in her work and which must remain as core values if progress is to be made. Angela Nubian. Serigraph on Coventry Rag, 100% Cotton Custom Archival Paper with hand-deckled edges. 30 x 41 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 89. Comes with a certificate of authenticity. $900.
Summary
Angela Nubian (Large Format) is a 2019 Shepard Fairey screen print, published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered first edition of 89, measuring 30 x 41 inches on Coventry Rag archival cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. Part of the "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent" series, it portrays civil rights activist and feminist Angela Davis. Her expression reads as either ferocious or restrained depending on the viewer's perspective, conveying duality, while her iconic Afro overtakes bold text reading "Power and Equality." The composition references Davis's writings on race, gender, and oppression, presenting her poised and looking upward as an emblem of ideals essential to progress.
Why It Matters
Angela Nubian is Fairey's tribute to Angela Davis, the civil rights activist and feminist whose landmark text Women, Race and Class confronts how, in her words, "black women bore the terrible burden of equality in oppression." Co-curator Pedro Alonzo explains that Davis has long advocated dismantling flawed and superficial views of race and gender, and the portrait encodes that struggle: her expression appears either ferocious or restrained depending on the viewer's perspective, conveying a deliberate duality. Poised and looking upward, her now-iconic Afro consumes the bold "Power and Equality" text, casting her image as the literal canvas for the ideals she promotes and that must remain core values if progress is to be made. Within the thirtieth-anniversary "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent" series, the print extends Fairey's long engagement with civil rights, feminism, and the portraiture of activists, joining his broader body of work honoring figures of resistance. The signed, numbered large-format edition of 89, with a certificate of authenticity, gives collectors a monumental, message-driven portrait that pairs visual boldness with substantive political content, making it one of the more significant civil-rights statements in this release wave.
Collector Perspective
Angela Nubian appeals to collectors who prioritize Fairey's civil-rights and feminist subject matter and his portraiture of activists. The commanding Afro, upward gaze, and integrated "Power and Equality" text make it a powerful 30 x 41 inch wall piece that carries both visually and conceptually. As part of the "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent" series, it pairs with the other 2019 large-format edition-of-89 portraits and complements women- and justice-focused groupings. The depiction of Angela Davis gives it strong cultural resonance for buyers building collections around social justice and Black feminist history. The small first edition of 89, signed and numbered with a certificate of authenticity, supports its appeal to collectors who weight scarcity and meaningful subject matter.
Historical Context
Angela Nubian belongs to the 2019 "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent" series marking Obey Giant's thirtieth anniversary, situating Fairey's portrait of Angela Davis within his career-spanning engagement with civil rights and feminism. By foregrounding Davis's writing on race, gender, and oppression and rendering her Afro as the vessel for "Power and Equality," the work continues Fairey's practice of elevating activists and thinkers into monumental graphic icons. Its duality of expression reflects the persistent obstacles Davis has spoken about, tying the image to ongoing struggles rather than a closed historical chapter. The print stands among Fairey's notable tributes to women leaders within the anniversary series.
FAQ
Who is depicted in Angela Nubian?
It portrays civil rights activist and feminist Angela Davis, author of Women, Race and Class. Fairey's portrait references her advocacy against flawed views of race and gender, with her iconic Afro and the words "Power and Equality."
What is the edition size and format?
It is a numbered first edition of 89, signed by Shepard Fairey with a certificate of authenticity. The large-format serigraph measures 30 x 41 inches on Coventry Rag 100% cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges, published by Obey Giant in 2019.
What does the dual expression signify?
Per the description, Davis's expression reads as either ferocious or restrained depending on the viewer's perspective, conveying a duality that reflects the persistent obstacles African-American women face and the ideals she promotes.
What series does this print belong to?
It is part of "Facing the Giant: Three Decades of Dissent," Fairey's print series marking Obey Giant's thirtieth anniversary, which honors figures and ideas central to his decades of dissent.
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.