Shepard Fairey: The Future is Unwritten

Street artist, activist and founder of renowned street label OBEY Clothing – Shepard Fairey – will be showing his first ever exhibition in Southeast Asia this September at the Opera Gallery in Singapore. In conjunction with the exhibition, the artist will also be painting a monumental mural at 8 Craig Road to commemorate his first Southeast Asian show. 

With over one million followers on Instagram, the American street artist has one of the most recognisable street art styles in the world. His works undertake a unique colour palette and incorporate both typography and visuals to produce prints, murals, stickers, posters and apparels under both OBEY and his own name. You've most probably come across his most iconic artwork – the 'Icon Face' with the word 'OBEY' below it – in one form or another. He is also the artist behind the famous Barack Obama ‘Hope’ poster.

Going beyond political narratives, Fairey's works explore ideas of unity and harmony within humanity and the larger world, using symbols like the circle to represent unitedness and unity. “I create art as a personal meditation on complex global issues, distilling ideas down to compositions aiming to provide beauty and a message. My messages leave each viewer space for interpretation, but my goal remains to inspire a spark against apathy,” shares Fairey.