Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey is a controversial American graphic designer and illustrator, he uses photographs people then enhance them using computer software. Fairey was born in Carolina in 1970 and began to draw designs on T shirts and skateboards at the age of 14.

His senior education was at an Art academy and he later studied illustration at University.

After graduation he had an exhibition at the Boston institute of Contemporary Art which featured more than 250 works in a wide variety of media: screen prints, stencils, stickers, rubylith illustrations, collages, and works on wood, metal, photography and canvas.

After graduation he also formed a small company called Alternate Graphics which specialised in t-shirt and stickers. This allowed Fairey the ability to continue pursuing his own artwork.  Fairey created the "Obey Giant" campaign which is still popular today.

Not many people might know that as well as his graphic design work Fairey also DJs at various clubs under the name DJ Diabetic and Emcee Insulin, I think he uses this name because he is a diabetic.

Fairey is well known for the series of posters he created for Barack Obama's 2008 candidacy for President of the United States