Decorative Rebellion in Full Bloom: Shepard Fairey's 2004 Floral Patte

Edition Size: 275 (2004)
Size: 18×18"
Medium: Screenprint on cream paper
Current Market Estimate: $400 per print / $3,000+ for matched sets
Appeal: Decorative modernism meets street-art DNA

In 2004, long before pattern-forward design became a pop art staple, Shepard Fairey released what has now become one of his most quietly coveted print series: the eight-piece Floral Pattern set. This wasn't agitprop. It wasn't overtly political. Instead, Fairey delivered a visual love letter to the power of pattern, ornament, and subtle rebellion.

The eight 18x18" screenprints—originally issued in an edition of 275—explore poppies and lotuses with Art Nouveau and Victorian textile flair. But this is Fairey, after all, so nestled within the swirling vines and petals are Obey Stars and hidden typographic Easter eggs. It's beauty with a bite, style with subversion.

Each piece pops in limited palettes: teal on black, cream on charcoal, deep red with cream. They whisper rather than shout—but collectors listen closely. As of 2025, full matched-number sets are unicorns. Individual prints, once $50, now fetch $300–$500. Complete sets easily clear $3,000 at auction.

What elevates this series beyond decor is how these patterns echo through Fairey's later work: behind the Peace Goddess, tucked into Hope, and layered in murals. They are the wallpaper of the revolution—lovely, looping, and quietly loaded.

For gallerists and collectors, this set offers a bridge between fine art and graphic design. Aesthetically timeless, politically sly, the Floral Patterns prove Fairey can make a riot feel like a garden party.