Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Mea Culpa”?
Artist Statement
Serigraph on Coventry Rag, 100% Cotton Custom Archival Paper with hand-deckled edges. 24 x 24 inches. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 100. Comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Summary
Mea Culpa is a 2020 Shepard Fairey serigraph, published by Serigraphic Systems Inc in a signed, numbered first edition of 100. Printed on Coventry Rag, 100% cotton custom archival paper with hand-deckled edges, it measures 24 x 24 inches and was priced at $200. It comes with a certificate of authenticity. The source provides limited descriptive detail beyond medium, format, and edition, so interpretation is kept cautious. Its Latin title, shared with companion releases, and its small edition place it among Fairey's higher-end serigraph editions from this period.
Why It Matters
Mea Culpa rounds out the cohesive 2020 set of square 24 x 24 inch serigraphs Fairey released through Serigraphic Systems Inc, each in an edition of 100 on premium Coventry Rag cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges. Its title, Latin for my fault, suggests themes of admission, accountability, or reflection, though the supplied record does not describe the imagery, so that reading stays cautious. The work's collector significance rests primarily on its fine-art production: the archival cotton stock, hand-deckled edges, and included certificate of authenticity distinguish it from Fairey's larger poster editions. Grouped with companions Resurrectionem Ex-Mortuis, E Pluribus Unum, and Pax Romana, it forms part of a Latin-titled series that rewards collectors assembling matched sets. The small edition of 100 makes it among the scarcer Fairey prints of the year. Given the sparse source detail, its importance is best framed through format, material, and series cohesion rather than a documented message, positioning it as a refined collectible within Fairey's broader 2020 catalogue.
Collector Perspective
This suits collectors who value premium materials and small editions over poster-scale work. The square 24 x 24 inch format on Coventry Rag cotton archival paper with hand-deckled edges and an included certificate of authenticity makes it a refined, frame-ready object. The signed, numbered edition of 100 keeps it scarce, and the reflective title gives it conceptual appeal. It is especially attractive to collectors assembling the matched Latin-titled set alongside Resurrectionem Ex-Mortuis, E Pluribus Unum, and Pax Romana, all sharing the same publisher, format, and edition. Buyers focused on material quality and series cohesion rather than a specific documented subject will find it a strong fit, with the caveat that the limited source description warrants caution about deeper thematic claims.
Historical Context
Released in April 2020 through Serigraphic Systems Inc, Mea Culpa belongs to a set of square 24 x 24 inch serigraphs Fairey issued that month in editions of 100 on premium archival paper. Its Latin title evokes themes of accountability and reflection, though the source does not detail the image. Alongside companions Resurrectionem Ex-Mortuis, E Pluribus Unum, and Pax Romana, it reflects his parallel practice of producing finely made serigraph editions distinct from his larger Obey Giant poster runs. With limited descriptive material, its place in Fairey's arc is best understood through this premium, small-edition production approach and the cohesion of the Latin-titled group.
FAQ
What does the title mean?
Mea Culpa is a Latin phrase meaning my fault, an acknowledgment of error or guilt, suggesting themes of accountability and reflection. The supplied record does not describe the specific imagery.
What are the edition and materials?
It is a serigraph on Coventry Rag, 100% cotton custom archival paper with hand-deckled edges, 24 x 24 inches, signed and numbered in an edition of 100. It comes with a certificate of authenticity, published by Serigraphic Systems Inc in 2020.
How scarce is it?
The edition is limited to 100 signed and numbered prints, placing it among the smaller Fairey editions from its year.
Is it part of a series?
It shares its publisher, 24 x 24 inch format, edition of 100, and April 2020 release with companion Latin-titled serigraphs including Resurrectionem Ex-Mortuis, E Pluribus Unum, and Pax Romana.
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.