Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Oil Lotus Woman”?
Artist Statement
The Oil Lotus Woman symbolizes the courage it requires for an individual with a conscience, to both acknowledge and stand up to the obvious and insidious forces of industry and money that put profit before the future of the planet and all of its species. The air and water that we all share collectively should not be compromised for the profits of the few, and we should not spoil those assets ourselves, with irresponsible habits. We all share responsibility. Thanks for caring. – Shepard Oil Lotus Woman. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 450. $55.
Summary
Oil Lotus Woman is a 2018 Shepard Fairey screen print published by Obey Giant, measuring 18 x 24 inches on cream Speckletone paper. It depicts a stylized woman as a symbol of conscience confronting the industrial and financial forces that prioritize profit over the planet. Fairey frames the work around shared responsibility for protecting the air and water that all species depend on. Rendered in his signature graphic portrait style with floral motifs, the print was signed by the artist and released in a numbered edition of 450 at an issue price of $55.
Why It Matters
Oil Lotus Woman sits squarely within Fairey's long-running environmental advocacy, pairing a serene female figure with the lotus, a symbol of resilience and emergence from murky conditions. The artist's own statement makes the message explicit: it honors the courage required to acknowledge and resist the 'obvious and insidious forces of industry and money that put profit before the future of the planet.' That framing of collective responsibility, the air and water 'we all share,' connects it to a recurring theme across his work, where personal accountability and systemic critique coexist. For collectors, the piece is a clean, accessible entry into Fairey's eco-conscious portraits, combining his recognizable graphic-portrait vocabulary with floral symbolism. It bridges his environmental concerns and his frequent use of the empowered female figure as a vessel for justice and conscience. As a numbered edition of 450 from Obey Giant, it represents a mid-sized release that balances availability with collectibility, and its modest original price point made it an approachable acquisition for newer collectors building a thematically coherent set around climate and stewardship.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors who build around theme rather than single iconic images, particularly those assembling a coherent environmental or empowered-woman grouping within a Fairey collection. Its balanced portrait composition, floral framing, and warm cream Speckletone stock make it an easy piece to display alongside other mid-2010s Obey Giant editions. The 18 x 24 inch format is wall-friendly for home or gallery settings without dominating a room. As a signed, numbered edition of 450 issued at an accessible price, it suits newer collectors who want an authentic, message-driven Fairey screen print, as well as established buyers filling out an environmental sub-collection. Its clear conservation message gives it durable conversational and decorative value.
Historical Context
Oil Lotus Woman was released in January 2018 through Obey Giant, during a prolific stretch of Fairey's career that followed his high-profile We the People images and coincided with his DAMAGED exhibition period. By this point Fairey had firmly established environmental stewardship as one of his core recurring subjects, alongside justice and anti-authoritarian themes. The print continues his use of the stylized female figure as a carrier of moral and political messaging, a device he returned to repeatedly across the 2010s and into the 2020s. Its lotus and oil motifs tie it to a broader body of climate-focused works he produced in this era, positioning it as part of an ongoing visual argument for collective responsibility rather than a one-off statement.
FAQ
What is the edition size of Oil Lotus Woman?
Oil Lotus Woman was released as a numbered edition of 450, signed by Shepard Fairey and published by Obey Giant in 2018. It was issued at an original price of $55, making it one of the more accessible mid-sized screen-print editions from this period of his output.
What message does the print convey?
According to Fairey, the work symbolizes the courage required for a person of conscience to acknowledge and stand up to industrial and financial forces that put profit before the planet. He emphasizes that the air and water we collectively share should not be compromised, framing environmental care as a shared responsibility.
What are the dimensions and materials?
The print measures 18 x 24 inches and is a screen print on cream Speckletone paper. It was signed by Shepard Fairey and numbered, consistent with the standard format of his Obey Giant releases from this era.
How does it fit within Fairey's work?
It belongs to Fairey's recurring environmental theme, combining his stylized female portrait approach with floral and lotus symbolism. The piece connects to other climate and conservation editions he produced across the 2010s and into the 2020s, reinforcing a consistent message of stewardship and collective accountability.
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.