Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Incarnation (Color)”?
Artist Statement
These Incarnation prints are based on fine art I created for my Photo Synthesis show at Fotografiska using collage, translucent spray paint layers, and paint blotted with pattern stencils. I'm very pleased by how nicely the prints translate the character and subtleties of the fine art. The portrait of a woman clutching a carnation close to her chest while making direct eye contact with the viewer is meant to signify a protective stance on environmental health. -Shepard Incarnation (Color & Silver). A limited amount of matching numbered sets will be available for $110. 18 x 24 inches. Screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper. Signed by Shepard Fairey. Numbered edition of 550. Comes with a Digital Certificate of Authenticity provided by Verisart. $55
Summary
Incarnation (Color) is a 2024 screen print published by Obey Giant in a signed, numbered edition of 550, measuring 18 x 24 inches on thick cream Speckletone paper. It is based on fine art Fairey created for his Photo Synthesis show at Fotografiska using collage, translucent spray-paint layers, and pattern-stenciled paint. The portrait shows a woman clutching a carnation close to her chest while making direct eye contact with the viewer, a gesture Fairey describes as signifying a protective stance on environmental health. A matching Silver variant was offered, with numbered sets at $110; the Color print released at $55.
Why It Matters
Incarnation (Color) translates fine art from Fairey's Photo Synthesis show at Fotografiska into an accessible screen print, carrying over the collage, translucent spray-paint layers, and pattern-stencil techniques that gave the originals their texture. The portrait of a woman holding a carnation to her chest while meeting the viewer's gaze is, in Fairey's words, a protective stance on environmental health, linking the image to his environmental themes through a quiet, figurative gesture rather than overt slogans. The carnation's wordplay with "Incarnation" reinforces a reading of the figure as an embodiment of care for the natural world. For collectors, the print is notable as a faithful reproduction of museum-exhibited fine art at an affordable $55, with a companion Silver variant and matching numbered sets offered at $110, giving variant-focused collectors an additional avenue. It sits comfortably at the intersection of Fairey's portrait work, his floral and nature symbolism, and his environmental advocacy. The Fotografiska connection lends institutional context, and the direct-gaze composition gives it strong wall presence. It rewards buyers who appreciate Fairey's softer, layered fine-art aesthetic alongside his more graphic, slogan-driven output.
Collector Perspective
This print suits collectors drawn to Fairey's portrait and floral work and to pieces connected to museum exhibitions, here his Photo Synthesis show at Fotografiska. The layered, collage-derived aesthetic and the woman-with-carnation composition give it a softer, fine-art feel that displays well as a centerpiece or in a portrait grouping. At $55 in an edition of 550 it is highly accessible, and the matching Silver variant with numbered sets at $110 appeals to collectors who pursue complete variant pairs. Its environmental-health subtext and floral symbolism let it anchor a nature- or women-themed wall. It is a strong, affordable choice for buyers favoring Fairey's more atmospheric portraiture.
Historical Context
Incarnation (Color) derives from fine art Fairey produced for his Photo Synthesis show at Fotografiska, reflecting his gallery and museum-exhibition practice and his use of collage, translucent spray paint, and pattern stencils in original works. As a print, it carries those fine-art techniques into an editioned, accessible format. The carnation-holding portrait's protective stance on environmental health connects it to Fairey's broader environmental advocacy and his recurring use of floral and nature symbolism in portraits of women. It belongs to his contemporary output, where exhibition-based fine art is regularly translated into prints, bridging his museum work and his collector-facing editions.
FAQ
What is the source of this image?
Incarnation is based on fine art Fairey created for his Photo Synthesis show at Fotografiska, made using collage, translucent spray-paint layers, and paint blotted with pattern stencils. The print is designed to translate the character and subtleties of that original fine art.
What does the imagery mean?
The portrait shows a woman clutching a carnation close to her chest while making direct eye contact with the viewer. Fairey describes this as signifying a protective stance on environmental health, linking the figure to his broader environmental concerns.
Is there more than one version?
Yes. There is a Color version and a matching Silver version. A limited number of matching numbered sets were offered at $110, while the Color print released at $55. Both are screen prints in an edition of 550.
What are the format and edition details?
It is a screen print on thick cream Speckletone paper, signed by Shepard Fairey in a numbered edition of 550, measuring 18 x 24 inches. It comes with a Verisart digital certificate of authenticity.
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.