Shepard Fairey - *Alice Bag*, 2023
Mixed Media (Stencil, Silkscreen, and Collage) on Paper 60 x 44 in. (152.4 x 111.8 cm)

What do John Lennon, Alice Bag and Joan Jett have in common?

They are not only icons of music, justice, empowerment, and fresh perspectives, but they have also all had their portraits created by the legendary street artist and activist Shepard Fairey.

The exhibition Photo Synthesis will be on display at Fotografiska Berlin from October 17, 2025, to March 8, 2026, with over 200 works from Shepard Fairey’s long career, presenting one of the biggest names in street art through a photographic lens.

Shepard Fairey’s art goes beyond street walls – his creations have become symbols of activism and social change. He had his major breakthrough with the iconic portrait of Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign and the explosive rise of the clothing brand OBEY. From the cult stickers of Andre the Giant Has a Posse to the globally renowned Obey Giant and Hope posters, his work charts both the evolution of his visual language and his relentless commitment to challenging authority.

Fotografiska Berlin now presents an exhibition that intertwines these defining pieces with works created specifically for the show, tracing Fairey’s path from early wheat-paste experiments to his mastery of screen printing and digital collage, with photography as the point of departure.

“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. Synthesis displays photography-related artworks from throughout my career and a significant, unique body of work created specifically for the exhibition,” says Shepard Fairey.

Shepard Fairey has created around 140 public murals, and his stickers, guerrilla art and murals can be found all over the world, including a number of large-scale works in Berlin. His work has gone from grassroots interventions to being shown in some of the world’s most important museums and galleries.

“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. We hope to inspire new perspectives and encourage audiences to remain visually awake in an age of distraction and control,” says Thomas Schäfer, Associate Director of Exhibitions at Fotografiska Berlin.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Shepard Fairey was born in 1970 in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, and founder of OBEY Clothing and the creative agency Studio Number One. In 1989, during his art studies at Rhode Island School of Design, Shepard Fairey created the sticker Andre the Giant has a Posse which was later developed into the art campaign Obey Giant. In 2008, his portrait of the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama became a powerful symbol in the campaign to elect the first African American president. He is also known for the We the People campaign, which was introduced during the Women’s Marches in 2017. His work is held in major collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and many others.

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.

ABOUT FOTOGRAFISKA

Fotografiska is the contemporary museum of photography, art and culture. With locations in Stockholm, Berlin, Tallinn and Shanghai, Fotografiska exhibits world renowned artists as well as local, emerging talent. Exhibitions change almost every month to continuously inspire new perspectives. From its restaurant and bars to its parties and talks, the museum offers a social and cultural experience – open late every day, from 10:00 to 23:00.