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Artist Behind Famous Obama 'Hope' Poster Creates One for Kamala

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  August 19, 2024 8:00 AM

Shepard Fairey is the artist, activist, and graphic designer behind the iconic “Hope” poster of Barack Obama, which he created in 2008 to support the then-senator’s first presidential campaign. According to the Art Institute of Chicago, the work was based off of an AP photograph by Mannie Garcia, “which he transformed with his signature high-contrast stencil technique, inspired by the political message and bold graphics of Soviet Socialist Realism.” What started as a street poster quickly became widely used elsewhere and eventually was adopted as the official image of Obama's presidential campaign. 

Now, Fairey is back with a new poster supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential bid, explaining the artwork: 

“We are not going back.” These words from Kamala Harris summarize the moment we are in, and in order not to go back, we must go FORWARD! While we have not achieved all the goals we might be seeking, we are making progress – all in the face of expanding threats and regressive political adversaries.

But we are not going back. In fact, we have a very real opportunity to move forward. If we act we can move forward our desire for a healthy planet, for corporate accountability, toward equality and away from racism, sexism, xenophobia, and homophobia, for equitable access to opportunity, for full access to the medical care we want or need, for fair and just immigration policies.

I believe VP Kamala Harris and her VP pick Tim Walz are our best chance to move forward. They are our best chance to push back on encroaching fascism and threats to democracy, and our best chance for creating the world we all desire and deserve. Politics is messy… but messy is no excuse for checking out. Messy is the work and the work can be joyful. Messy is what it takes to get through the daunting mess in pursuit of a better future. But we only win if we show up. Be ready for Nov. 5.

There were plenty of critics, with some pointing out the irony of the image.