Jesse Nubian (Large Format)

Work Summary & Collector Notes

Jesse Nubian (Large Format) is a 2019 screen print from Shepard Fairey's Brown Power series, a serigraph on 100% cotton Coventry Rag archival paper with hand-deckled edges, measuring 30 x 41 inches. The large-format portrait depicts a defiant figure with a raised fist, echoing the Black Power salute of the 1960s and the spirit of Reverend Jesse Jackson's "I Am Somebody" call-and-response. Rendered in a softened Pan-African palette of red, black, and green, the work portrays an African-American freedom fighter while inviting viewers to question how the aesthetics of power and activism shape perception. Issued in a signed, numbered edition of 89, it includes a certificate of authenticity.

Collector notes: First Edition · Large Format; saved release record states an edition size of 89. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet groups this work under Portraits and legacy for discovery; that category is a navigation aid, not an authentication conclusion.

Historical Context

In the artist's words / from the release record:

“This print is from the Brown Power series, which adopts the visual language of the Black Power movement and uses a softened Pan-African color scheme (red, black, and green) to portray several African-American freedom fighters. With his fist raised in a gesture made famous in the Black Power movement of the 1960s, we are reminded of civil rights activist and minister, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. and his countless proclamations of "I Am-Somebody," from a poem of that title originally written by Reverend William Holmes Borders, Sr. Jackson recited this poem at numerous rallies, festivals and

Documented Release Details

Object type

Editioned screenprint

Release date

2019-10-29

Release-date note

Catalog-listed release year/date from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.

Series

Portrait Series

Medium and materials

Screen Print; catalog dimensions 41 x 30 in; archival paper noted in the release description.

Edition details

First Edition · Large Format; saved release record states an edition size of 89.

Signature and marks

The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.

Documented History and Meaning

History note: Shepard Fairey's OBEY / Andre the Giant campaign began in 1989 and grew into a long print and public-art practice; this page treats that as career context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition.

Meaning / interpretation: In the artist's or release record's own words: “This print is from the Brown Power series, which adopts the visual language of the Black Power movement and uses a softened Pan-African color scheme (red, black, and green) to portray several African-American freedom fighters. With his fist raised in a gesture made famous in the Black Power movement of the 1960s, we are reminded of civil rights activist and minister, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. and his countless proclamations of "I Am-Somebody," from a poem of that title originally written by Reverend William Holmes Borders, Sr. Jackson recited this poem at numerous rallies, festivals and. This can be read as the documented intent for the work; no additional endorsement is assumed. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.

Release context: The saved catalog lists 2019-10-29 and attributes the edition to Obey Giant. It is grouped under Portrait Series in the saved record. The saved record notes an original release price of USD $900.00.

Authentication, Presentation and Provenance

Original presentation

Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.

Authentication note

Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.

Provenance note

Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Obey Giant. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.

Sources and Verification

Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added

1. Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, date, edition, dimensions, medium, release price, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
2. About — Shepard Fairey / OBEY GIANT — Obey Giant · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official OBEY GIANT artist biography and career context; it is not an individual-edition record.
3. Shepard Fairey — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
4. Shepard Fairey (Q1142847) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.