Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Love Lotus”?
Artist Statement
I created this "Love Lotus" art for Race to Erase MS, and it is meant to give hope that soon there will be a cure for multiple sclerosis. The Lotus is a symbol of harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity. My wife, Amanda, is one of millions of people struggling with complications of MS. The disease can be managed, but there is no cure. Proceeds from the "Love Lotus" will support @racetoerasems and their efforts to strategically fund MS researchers who show promise in their search for a cure. Thanks for caring! –Shepard Love Lotus. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550. $60
Summary
Love Lotus is a 2021 screen print by Shepard Fairey created for Race to Erase MS. It centers on a lotus, which Fairey describes as a symbol of harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity, intended to express hope for a cure for multiple sclerosis. Printed on thick cream Speckletone paper, it measures 18 x 24 inches and is a numbered edition of 550 signed by Shepard Fairey. Released by Obey Giant at $60, the print directs proceeds to support Race to Erase MS and its funding of MS research. Fairey notes the cause is personal, as his wife Amanda lives with MS.
Why It Matters
Love Lotus pairs Fairey's floral symbolism with a deeply personal cause, making it one of the more intimate benefit prints in his catalog. Fairey explicitly ties the work to his wife Amanda's experience with multiple sclerosis, which lends the lotus motif, his chosen emblem of harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity, an emotional charge beyond decorative beauty. Created for Race to Erase MS with proceeds funding research toward a cure, the print exemplifies Fairey's long practice of using accessible editions to channel support to specific causes. The lotus connects it to his broader vocabulary of nature and floral imagery, where ornamental pattern carries layered meaning, while the screenprint on thick cream Speckletone paper offers the hand-pulled quality collectors associate with his studio editions. Its 18 x 24 format and modest original price make it approachable, and the named charitable partner gives it clear provenance and purpose. For collectors, Love Lotus is both a visually serene floral work and a documented expression of Fairey's personal commitment to a health-related cause.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors of Fairey's floral and nature imagery, buyers who favor cause-linked editions, and those drawn to its personal backstory tied to MS research. The serene lotus composition on cream Speckletone paper displays well in calmer interiors and alongside other Fairey floral works, offering softer visual appeal than his overtly political prints. At an accessible original price and an edition of 550, it is an approachable acquisition that fits collections organized around Fairey's floral symbolism or his charitable releases. The Race to Erase MS connection and the artist's personal dedication add meaning for collectors who value the story and mission behind a piece, and the signature and edition numbering support its standing as a collectible studio screenprint.
Historical Context
Love Lotus belongs to Fairey's ongoing series of floral and nature-based works, where the lotus and rose recur as symbols layered with meaning, and to his steady stream of benefit prints supporting named causes. Released in 2021, it reflects how Fairey continued issuing accessible screenprint editions tied to specific organizations during the early 2020s. Its personal dedication to his wife's experience with MS distinguishes it from his more public political commissions, situating it among the more private, dedicated works in his catalog. The use of thick cream Speckletone paper and hand-pulled screenprinting aligns it with the standard studio practice of Obey Giant editions from this period.
FAQ
What cause does Love Lotus support?
Fairey created Love Lotus for Race to Erase MS, with proceeds supporting the organization's efforts to fund multiple sclerosis researchers searching for a cure. He notes the cause is personal because his wife, Amanda, lives with complications of MS.
What does the lotus symbolize here?
Fairey describes the lotus as a symbol of harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity. In this print it is meant to give hope that a cure for multiple sclerosis will be found, tying the floral image directly to the work's charitable purpose.
What are the print's specifications?
Love Lotus is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper measuring 18 x 24 inches. It is a numbered edition of 550 signed by Shepard Fairey, published by Obey Giant in 2021 at an original price of $60.
Who published the print?
It was published by Obey Giant in 2021. The print is signed and numbered by Shepard Fairey, and its sale supported Race to Erase MS, the organization Fairey partnered with for the release.
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.