Shepard Fairey's HOPE (2015)

A contemporary reinterpretation of one of the most recognizable political images of the twenty first century, created through Brent Ray Fraser’s signature Brush Stroke Technique. Reimagining Shepard Fairey’s iconic HOPE poster through a physically charged painting process, Fraser transforms a symbol of political optimism into a work of personal expression, gesture, and embodiment.

Created during a period when Fraser was reflecting on the artists who shaped his own creative development, the work pays homage to the street art and graffiti culture that inspired him as a teenager. Long before establishing his internationally recognized Brush Stroke Technique, Fraser painted large scale murals and unauthorized graffiti works, drawing influence from artists who successfully bridged the gap between the street and the gallery, including Shepard Fairey and Banksy.

While honoring the visual language of Fairey’s celebrated image of Barack Obama, Fraser reinterprets the composition through his own distinctive painting methodology, introducing movement, physicality, and layered mark making that shift the work beyond reproduction into personal transformation. The result is both a tribute to an influential contemporary artist and a reflection on the evolution of Fraser’s own artistic practice.

Executed through Fraser’s full body painting process.

Size: 47 × 71 in