Commanda  
August 2009

Shepard Fairey  is an American contemporary  street  artist, graphic designer, and  social  activist. He emerged from the skateboarding scene and  created the André the Giant Has a Posse sticker campaign  in 1989 while attending Rhode Island School of Design. He is perhaps best known for  his  Hope campaign in 2008  that features  a portrait of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Fairey, who was born in South Carolina and lives in Los Angeles,  painted a mural for the lobby of  Northeastern’s  International Village.  The  piece features a fictionalized portrait of  his  wife, Amanda. The title,  which is a hybrid of her name and the word, “command,” acts as a verbal description of her confident and powerful character.

Fairey’s  work is included in the collections at The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston calls him one of today’s best known and most influential street artists.