An exhibition from a street artist advocating for human rights will open at Bermuda National Gallery on September 21, the International Day of Peace.

Shepard Fairey: rebel with a cause features limited edition prints, including his well-known images entitled Hope and Progress from President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.

Mr Fairey’s artwork advocates for the protection of human rights, from the abuse of political power and militarism to the support for minorities and gender equity, according to a press release from BNG.

Emerging from the skateboard culture of 1980s America, he uses abandoned buildings, empty spaces, and streets as his artistic canvas.

Moving into the print medium, and accessing the global market through online sales or giveaways, he has raised his profile to social influence.

Mr Fairey was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1970. He studied illustration art at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1991 and now lives and works in Los Angeles.

His political street art quickly attracted the attention of major galleries, and he made a rapid ascent from smaller exhibitions to major galleries in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Berlin, and Tokyo.

To learn more about Shepard Fairey, visit www.obeygiant.com. To arrange a group tour of the exhibition, e-mail: education@bng.bm.