Artist and designer Shepard Fairey is known for some of the most recognizable street art and graphic design of his generation, including the “Obey” and Obama “Hope” posters, in addition to what feels like countless murals around the world. Fairey’s work is often a passionate and authentic manifestation of political causes important to him, filtered through influences drawn from album covers, skateboarding, street art, propaganda posters, and pop art.
Fairey’s unique visual style and pop culture influences make him a natural choice for Mattel to partner with in their latest Artiste deck for UNO. Previous artists featured include Nina Chanel Abney, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring, but the Shepard Fairey deck marks the first in the Artiste Series to go plastic-free. Like the card game’s Nothin’ but Paper set, the deck features recycled, recyclable, and sustainable materials. Mattel is also making a donation to Ocean Conservancy on Shepard’s behalf.
“I was honored to work with a brand as iconic as UNO to translate my artistic vision to this medium,” said Shepard Fairey via press release. “As I continue to search for unexpected ways to connect with people, I loved the challenge of finding the balance between my voice and visual language combined with the recognizable visuals of UNO. Moreover, this partnership is personal to me—I played UNO with my family as a kid, and so the game brings back fond memories, and I love that my art can be part of the conversation as friends and families enjoy a game of UNO.”
Michelle Compton, a senior packaging designer at UNO, added, “I’m not going to lie, I was a little anxious on this one because it’s being entrusted with the actual artist’s work. Shepard was an amazing collaborator and had a lot of trust in my team to do his work justice. I think we made something very special.”
The Shepard Fairey X UNO Artiste Series decks sold out, but Mattel plans to give away ten signed copies via Instagram.
