Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Lotus Hands Letterpress (Teal)”?
Artist Statement
The lotus, a symbol of harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity, is a recurrent motif in my work. I see the lotus as a powerful metaphor because it is a beautiful flower that grows out of the mud. The hands elevating the lotus represent the pursuit of harmony with each other and and the planet. A portion of proceeds from this print will support Greenpeace USA's efforts to fight for a healthy planet. –Shepard Lotus Hands (Two Colorways: Teal & Red). A limited amount of matching numbered sets will be available for $130. 9 x 12 inches. Letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 250. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $65. Proceeds go to Greenpeace USA. Obey publishing chop in lower left corner.
Summary
Lotus Hands is a 2023 letterpress print by Shepard Fairey, released in two colorways, Teal and Red, in a numbered edition of 250 each. Measuring 9 x 12 inches on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, it depicts hands elevating a lotus flower, which Fairey describes as a symbol of harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity that grows out of the mud. Signed by Shepard Fairey, it carries the Obey publishing chop in the lower left corner and comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. Released at $65 with matching sets offered, a portion of proceeds supports Greenpeace USA.
Why It Matters
This small letterpress print carries an outsized amount of Fairey's recurring symbolism. He calls the lotus a powerful metaphor because it is a beautiful flower that grows out of the mud, representing harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity, while the hands elevating it stand for the pursuit of harmony with each other and the planet. That dual reading, personal resilience and collective environmental responsibility, ties the image to both his floral vocabulary and his climate-minded work. The piece is also explicitly purpose-driven: a portion of proceeds supports Greenpeace USA's efforts for a healthy planet, aligning the object with Fairey's long practice of using editions to fund causes. Produced as a letterpress on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges and carrying the Obey publishing chop, it offers a tactile, craft-forward alternative to his screen prints. At 9 x 12 inches and an accessible release price of $65, with two colorways and matching sets available, it is among the more approachable entry points into his environmentally themed output, while still delivering the symbolic depth collectors associate with his mature work.
Collector Perspective
This suits collectors drawn to Fairey's environmental and floral symbolism, those who value cause-supporting editions, and buyers entering his market at an accessible price. The letterpress medium, cream cotton paper, and hand-deckled edges give it a tactile, craft-oriented quality that distinguishes it from his screen prints and rewards close, in-hand viewing. Its compact 9 x 12 inch size makes it easy to frame and group, and the two colorways, Teal and Red, invite collecting both or pursuing the matching set. The Greenpeace USA proceeds connection appeals to mission-aligned buyers. With a numbered edition of 250, the Obey publishing chop, and a Verisart certificate, it offers documented authenticity within a floral or environmental collection at a modest entry price of $65.
Historical Context
Created in 2023, Lotus Hands sits within Fairey's contemporary period and extends two long-running threads: his recurrent use of the lotus as a symbol of harmony and resilience, and his practice of tying editions to environmental causes, here Greenpeace USA. The letterpress medium and hand-deckled cotton paper reflect his continued interest in varied print processes beyond screen printing, and the Obey publishing chop marks it as a studio release of this era. Rather than a singular milestone, it functions as a representative example of how Fairey fuses floral symbolism with environmental advocacy in his recent work, restating his belief in growth out of adversity and harmony with the planet through a small, craft-forward object.
FAQ
What does the lotus imagery mean?
Fairey describes the lotus as a symbol of harmony, unity, and triumph over adversity, because it is a beautiful flower that grows out of the mud. The hands elevating the lotus represent the pursuit of harmony with each other and with the planet.
Does this print support a cause?
Yes. A portion of proceeds from this print supports Greenpeace USA's efforts to fight for a healthy planet, consistent with Fairey's practice of tying editions to environmental and social causes.
What are the medium, size, and edition?
It is a letterpress print measuring 9 x 12 inches on cream cotton paper with hand-deckled edges, released in two colorways, Teal and Red, each in a numbered edition of 250. It carries the Obey publishing chop in the lower left corner.
How was it sold and documented?
The Teal and Red editions sold separately for $65, with a limited number of matching numbered sets also available. Each print is signed by Shepard Fairey and comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart.
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.