Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Lotus Woman (Coffee Table / Art Piece)”?
Artist Statement
A project that was first sparked back in 2009 at the Sea No Evil Art show where five custom wood coffee tables featuring Shepard Fairey's art work first debuted, now has transformed into this multipurpose art piece. Made 100% by hand, the art piece is first created by a simple print on wood. "Lotus Women", chosen from Fairey's recent art exhibit, 50 Shades in Black, is printed on 1/2" maple wood, then hand stained. A steel frame is then constructed by hand to fit the 38" x 38" wood print, finished with a metal stain then waxed to prevent rusting. The table includes easily removable magnetic legs that can be stored away if hanging the art piece if preferred. Once the wood print is secured into the metal table, a unique stenciled vinyl record is sealed on top of the wood print by a layer of resin. Limited to an edition of 25, each art piece is signed and numbered
Summary
Lotus Woman (Coffee Table / Art Piece) is a 2014 Shepard Fairey object published by Prints On Wood. As described in the source, the Lotus Woman image, drawn from Fairey's 50 Shades in Black exhibit, is printed on 1/2-inch maple wood, hand stained, and set into a hand-built steel frame sized to the 38 x 38 inch wood print, then finished with a metal stain and wax. A stenciled vinyl record is sealed onto the wood print under a layer of resin. It includes removable magnetic legs so it can function as a coffee table or hang as wall art. Limited to an edition of 25, each piece is signed and numbered, priced at $5,000.
Why It Matters
Lotus Woman as a Coffee Table / Art Piece is one of Fairey's most unusual objects, a hybrid of print, sculpture, and functional furniture documented in detail by the source. Rather than a paper edition, the Lotus Woman image is printed on hand-stained maple, mounted in a hand-built steel frame, and topped with a stenciled vinyl record sealed under resin, with removable magnetic legs that let it serve as a table or hang as wall art. This makes it a genuinely three-dimensional, multipurpose work, far rarer in conception than his standard prints. The source traces its lineage to a 2009 Sea No Evil project where wood coffee tables featuring his art first debuted, and to his 50 Shades in Black exhibit, giving it documented exhibition and project provenance. Limited to just 25 signed and numbered pieces at $5,000, it is both scarce and high-tier. For collectors, the combination of a handcrafted process, functional design, vinyl-record element, and tiny edition makes it a statement object that bridges Fairey's graphic art with furniture and sculpture, distinguishing it sharply from the flat editions that dominate his catalog.
Collector Perspective
This suits serious collectors and design-minded buyers seeking a rare, functional Fairey object rather than a conventional print. The handcrafted construction, maple wood surface, steel frame, embedded vinyl record, and removable magnetic legs make it a versatile statement piece that works as a coffee table or wall-mounted art. With an edition of just 25, signed and numbered at $5,000, it sits at the high, collectible end of Fairey's output and rewards collectors who value scarcity and craftsmanship. It fits collections that emphasize Fairey's three-dimensional and exhibition-linked works, his Women-themed imagery, or unique design objects. Its dual function and tactile materials give it standout display presence in a home or studio.
Historical Context
The piece extends a project the source dates to 2009, when wood coffee tables featuring Fairey's art first debuted at the Sea No Evil art show, evolving by 2014 into this multipurpose art object. Its image, Lotus Woman, comes from Fairey's 50 Shades in Black exhibit, anchoring it to a specific body of work. Produced by Prints On Wood in an edition of 25, it reflects Fairey's collaborations that take his graphic imagery off paper and into handcrafted, three-dimensional formats. Within his arc, it represents the experimental, object-based side of his 2014 output, contrasting with his flat editions and showing how exhibition imagery was adapted into functional, sculptural form.
FAQ
What exactly is this Lotus Woman piece?
According to the source, it is a multipurpose art object: the Lotus Woman image is printed on 1/2-inch maple wood, hand stained, set into a hand-built steel frame, and topped with a stenciled vinyl record sealed under resin. Removable magnetic legs let it serve as a coffee table or hang as wall art.
What is the edition size?
The source states it is limited to an edition of 25, with each piece signed and numbered. It was priced at $5,000, placing it among Fairey's rare, high-tier handcrafted objects rather than his standard paper editions.
Where does the image come from?
The source notes the Lotus Woman image was chosen from Fairey's 50 Shades in Black art exhibit. The broader project traces back to 2009, when wood coffee tables featuring his work first debuted at the Sea No Evil art show.
How is it made?
The source describes a fully handmade process: a print on maple wood is hand stained, fitted into a hand-built steel frame finished with metal stain and wax, and sealed beneath a resin-coated stenciled vinyl record. The result is a durable, three-dimensional, functional art object.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.