Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Obey Icon (HPM)”?
Artist Statement
The "OBEY Icon" HPM (Hand-Painted Multiple) is a collaboration produced with my good friend and former co-worker Ernesto Yerena. I have worked with and collaborated with Ernesto for many years and it has been amazing to see him develop and flourish as an artist and activist. The Obey Icon Face evolved at the end of 1995 out of my desire to move further away from the association with Andre the Giant and toward a more streamlined and universal "Big Brother" (as in George Orwell's 1984) image. I was heavily influenced by the art of Russian Constructivism and Barbara Kruger when creating the Icon Face. Since its creation the Icon Face has remained a foundational and versatile part of my street art, fine art, and clothing graphics, but this is the first fine art edition of the Obey Icon Face I have made. The pieces are all different stencil paintings with the icon face and OBEY text screen printed over the unique backgrounds. Check them out! A portion of proceeds will go to support the valuable work of Brave New Films. –Shepard Obey Icon HPM. 19 x 28 inches. Hand painted multiple on thick Coventry Rag paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 100. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $650. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Brave New Films. Hecho Con Ganas publishing chop in lower left corner.
Summary
Obey Icon (HPM) is a 2023 hand-painted multiple by Shepard Fairey, produced in collaboration with Ernesto Yerena and published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered edition of 100. Measuring 19 x 28 inches on thick Coventry Rag paper, each piece features a unique stencil-painted background with the Obey Icon face and OBEY text screen printed over it, making every example different. Fairey notes this is the first fine art edition of the Obey Icon Face. Signed by Shepard Fairey, it carries the Hecho Con Ganas publishing chop and a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. Released at $650, a portion of proceeds supports Brave New Films.
Why It Matters
This release carries real significance within Obey's iconography because Fairey states it is the first fine art edition of the Obey Icon Face he has made. He explains the Icon Face evolved at the end of 1995 from his desire to move away from the Andre the Giant association toward a more streamlined, universal Big Brother image drawn from George Orwell's 1984, influenced by Russian Constructivism and Barbara Kruger. The Icon Face has since been foundational across his street art, fine art, and clothing graphics, so giving it a dedicated fine art edition is a meaningful milestone. As hand-painted multiples, each of the 100 pieces has a unique stencil-painted background beneath the screen-printed icon and OBEY text, meaning no two are identical, a strong draw for collectors who prize uniqueness within an edition. The collaboration with longtime collaborator Ernesto Yerena and the Hecho Con Ganas publishing chop add provenance, while a portion of proceeds supports Brave New Films. At 19 x 28 inches on Coventry Rag paper and released at $650, it sits among the more premium, hand-finished entries in his catalog and directly anchors the central symbol of the OBEY project.
Collector Perspective
This is a key target for OBEY iconography collectors and for those who prize hand-finished, unique works within an edition. Its standout appeal is twofold: Fairey identifies it as the first fine art edition of the Obey Icon Face, and as hand-painted multiples each of the 100 pieces has a unique stencil background, so every example is one of a kind. That combination of historical significance and individuality makes it a centerpiece for a collection focused on the OBEY brand's core symbol. The 19 x 28 inch scale on Coventry Rag paper and the Hecho Con Ganas chop signal premium production. Collectors aligned with social causes will note the Brave New Films proceeds. With a numbered edition of 100, dual hand-finished and screen-printed processes, and a Verisart certificate, it offers documented provenance at a premium tier of $650.
Historical Context
Released in 2023, this hand-painted multiple is significant for being, in Fairey's words, the first fine art edition of the Obey Icon Face, the streamlined Big Brother image he developed at the end of 1995 to move beyond the Andre the Giant association. He cites Russian Constructivism and Barbara Kruger as influences on the Icon Face, which became foundational across his street art, fine art, and clothing graphics. Produced with longtime collaborator Ernesto Yerena under the Hecho Con Ganas chop, the work formalizes the OBEY project's central symbol into a hand-finished fine art object decades after its creation. Within Fairey's arc it represents a deliberate elevation of his most recognizable motif, bridging his early street-art iconography with the premium, cause-supporting editions of his contemporary practice.
FAQ
What makes this a hand-painted multiple?
Each of the 100 pieces has a unique stencil-painted background, with the Obey Icon face and OBEY text screen printed over it. Because every background is different, no two examples are identical, combining hand-painting with screen printing on Coventry Rag paper.
Why is this print historically notable?
Fairey states it is the first fine art edition of the Obey Icon Face, the streamlined Big Brother image he developed at the end of 1995 to move away from the Andre the Giant association, influenced by Russian Constructivism and Barbara Kruger.
Who collaborated on it and what cause does it support?
It was produced in collaboration with Ernesto Yerena, a longtime collaborator, and carries the Hecho Con Ganas publishing chop. A portion of the proceeds is donated to Brave New Films.
What are the edition size, size, and documentation?
It is a signed, numbered edition of 100 measuring 19 x 28 inches. It comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart and was released at $650, reflecting its hand-finished production and premium materials.
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.