Shepard Fairey Opens New Exhibition Featuring 100+ Works

Whether it be his 2008 Hope portrait of Barack Obama or the 1989 OBEY GIANT art campaign, artist Shepard Fairey has created some of the world’s most instantly recognizable visuals. Golden Compass, the artist’s latest solo exhibition, offers a sweeping overview of Fairey’s indelible impact upon guerilla aesthetics, street art, and political action.

Staged at Over the Influence Gallery (OTI) in Bangkok, Golden Compass comprises 112 works, encompassing everything from mixed-media paintings to retired stencils and screenprints on wood and metal. This expansive selection is not only indicative of Fairey’s range, but of his recent projects and development as an artist: almost everything featured in the exhibition is from the past year and a half, and all of its unique pieces are from 2024. But no matter the medium, each piece clearly conveys Fairey’s staunch belief in the “transformative power of art as a tool to connect with the most compassionate core of our humanity,” according to an OTI statement.

Perhaps this is why Fairey so often gravitates toward collage and punchy graphics, both of which are central to urban, pop, and socially engaged art. Much of the exhibition recalls classic imagery from activist movements, including roses, raised fists, and peace signs which appear alongside bold slogans such as “rise above” and “see no stranger.” Some collages also incorporate newspaper clippings that, for Fairey, exude “historical relevance.”

“I weave in clippings with historical relevance, things like the end of WWII, MLK’s assassination, Watergate, but not everything has to be topical,” Fairey explained in a recent interview with Hero Magazine. “I like the idea that we’re all shaped by the media we consume.”

The exhibition’s centerpiece is arguably a composition featuring two women lounging on a beach beneath an open parasol. On the horizon is an imposing oil derrick, the sky around it slipping from a clear blue into a dramatic, almost frightening shade of red. The artwork is an adaptation of a 10-foot-tall version designed specially for the Petit Palais, inspired by a painting in their collection from the early 1900s.

“I reimagined it with two women, adding an oil derrick in the distance and a warming sky,” Fairey told Hero Magazine. “Back then, no one was thinking about climate change. Industrialization gave people more leisure time, but they weren’t considering the consequences.”

Fairey himself has expressed that his body of work is, hopefully, seductive while also maintaining its provocative edge. He’s successful in that endeavor as his canvases are not merely attractive, seamlessly guiding the viewer’s eye from one graphic element to another, but political statements that throw a punch.

“Each piece confronts these subjects while fostering a direct and intimate connection with the audience, aiming to inspire reflection and, ideally, subtle or overt calls to action,” OTI writes. “Together, these works invite viewers to reflect on their own journeys, encouraging them to find their personal compass in the face of life’s challenges.”

Golden Compass is currently on view at Over the Influence in Bangkok until April 27, 2025. To learn more about the exhibition, visit the Over the Influence website.

Shepard Fairey’s newest solo exhibition, Golden Compass, explores the iconic artist’s recent output as well as his remarkable impact upon street, urban, and political art.

Golden Compass comprises 112 works, encompassing everything from mixed-media paintings to retired stencils and screenprints on wood and metal.

The exhibition is open until April 27, 2025 at Over the Influence Gallery in Bangkok.

Exhibition Information
Shepard Fairey
Golden Compass
February 27–April 27, 2025
Over the Influence Bangkok
81 Tri Mit Road, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok, Thailand

Shepard Fairey: Website | Instagram
Over the Influence Gallery: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Over the Influence Gallery.

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