Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Angel Of Hope & Strength”?
Artist Statement
Angel of Hope & Strength. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on Cream Speckle Tone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550. $70. Proceeds go to Direct Relief and RISCA.
Summary
Angel Of Hope & Strength is a 2020 screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches on Cream Speckle Tone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey in a numbered edition of 550, priced at $70. According to the source, proceeds go to Direct Relief and RISCA (Rhode Island State Council on the Arts). The work pairs a portrait-and-floral angel motif with Fairey's decorative symbolic style. The source description is brief, focusing on edition details and beneficiaries rather than an extended artist statement, so its themes are drawn primarily from title, imagery cues, and the listed theme fields.
Why It Matters
Angel Of Hope & Strength is a benefit print released during 2020 that channels proceeds to Direct Relief and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, two beneficiaries that signal both humanitarian and arts-support aims. The title's invocation of hope and strength, paired with an angel and floral symbolism, fits Fairey's recurring use of uplifting, almost devotional imagery to rally support during crisis moments. While the source description is sparse, the documented facts, a screen print on Cream Speckle Tone paper signed and numbered to 550, place it firmly among his collectible editions. Its value to collectors lies in its dual charitable purpose and its decorative, symbolic visual approach, which contrasts with the more pointed political prints of the same year. The angel motif connects it to Fairey's broader vocabulary of lotus, rose, and floral mandala imagery, where natural and symbolic forms carry messages of resilience. As part of a 2020 wave of benefit releases, it documents how Fairey used limited editions to support relief and arts organizations, giving the print both a charitable story and a place in his floral-and-symbolic output.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to collectors who favor Fairey's decorative, floral, and symbolic prints over his overtly political work, and to buyers drawn to the charitable angle of supporting Direct Relief and RISCA. At 18 x 24 inches it is a versatile mid-size piece for framing in living spaces, and its hopeful angel imagery makes it widely approachable. Signed and numbered to 550, it holds collectible standing while remaining an accessible entry point. It groups well with Fairey's lotus, rose, and floral works, and its benefit-print origin gives it a values-driven story. Because the source is brief, buyers should treat broader interpretation cautiously, but the documented edition, paper, and beneficiaries are well established.
Historical Context
The print belongs to Fairey's busy 2020 output, much of which took the form of benefit editions responding to a year of crisis. By directing proceeds to Direct Relief and RISCA, it reflects his pattern of using limited prints to fund both humanitarian relief and the arts. Stylistically, the angel and floral motifs connect it to his ongoing exploration of symbolic and decorative imagery, a strand that runs parallel to his political work. With a relatively limited description, it is best understood as part of this charitable, symbolically-oriented vein of his contemporary period rather than as a major statement piece.
FAQ
What are the specifications of Angel Of Hope & Strength?
It is a screen print measuring 18 x 24 inches on Cream Speckle Tone paper. It is signed by Shepard Fairey and issued in a numbered edition of 550, with a release price of $70 in 2020.
Does this print benefit a cause?
Yes. According to the source, proceeds go to Direct Relief and RISCA, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. This places it among Fairey's 2020 benefit editions supporting both humanitarian relief and the arts.
What imagery does the print feature?
The title and theme cues point to an angel motif combined with floral and decorative symbolism. The source description is brief, so detailed interpretation should be cautious, but it fits Fairey's vocabulary of uplifting, symbolic imagery emphasizing hope and strength.
How large is the edition?
It is a numbered edition of 550, signed by Shepard Fairey. This is a moderately sized limited edition for one of his screen prints from this period.
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.