Shepard Fairey
Photo Synthesis
Provocative, iconic, and socially engaged: the exhibition Photo Synthesis invites audiences to explore Shepard Fairey’s artistic evolution through a photographic lens.
From the famous Hope posters to the Obey Giant campaign: Shepard Fairey has shaped visual culture like few others. His work extends far beyond the street, becoming a powerful voice for activism and social change. With more than 140 murals worldwide, countless stickers and posters, and works in major collections, Fairey has built a visual language that confronts authority while inspiring new ways of seeing.
“The Photo Synthesis exhibition explores how photography has played a role in my creative process throughout my artistic development. Though my illustration style is often graphic, not photographic, photography plays a role in many of my images. I am convinced that illustration, photography, painting, and printmaking are not separate pursuits but can be combined in synchronicity.”
The exhibition traces his path from early wheat-paste interventions and screen printing to digital collage and a series of pieces created specifically for the show, highlighting how photography has fueled his creative evolution. It brings together defining works alongside new pieces, revealing an artistic practice that continues to transform cityscapes.
“We are proud to be exhibiting Shepard Fairey at Fotografiska. He is one of the most acclaimed yet most provocative contemporary artists in the world, with an undiminished social commitment. With his public interventions, he has changed how people talk about art and see the urban landscape. Through this exhibition, we want to show how important it is to keep the discourse alive in today’s world."
Shepard Fairey’s works do not just change public environments; they also raise questions of power, participation, and control.
CREDITS
Photo Synthesis is curated by Thomas Schäfer, Associate Director of Exhibitions, Fotografiska Berlin, in collaboration with Johan Vikner, Global Director of Exhibitions, Fotografiska, and the artist.