Circle of Hands was inspired by Green’s first trip to the United States in August 2008 - to the Democratic National Convention at the Mile High Stadium, in Denver. Green stood amongst the 84,000 people in the stadium as Obama received the official nomination as the Democratic candidate for president, and delivered his famous acceptance speech. Green was inspired as she watched the crowd celebrating and taking part in a Mexican wave. She felt an extraordinary movement of energy and realised she was witnessing a unity felt both in America and around the world.

Circle of Hands is a distillation of this incredible moment. The imagery represents the momentous energy, it embodies the people of the world uniting. The image shows seven hands, with different gestures, united in a circle of light. It represents the non- verbal gestures that can communicate so much more than words. The circle represents the genesis of the cycle, all of the pieces are connected, and Light reflects the imagery seen through the series to the seventh print, Peace.

Circle of Hands represents the long arc of change - August 28th is a hugely significant date in history. Not only was it the day of Obama’s nomination in 2008, it was also the day Martin Luther King delivered the I Have a Dream address in 1963. It was also on this date that the UK passed the Slavery Abolition Act in 1833. This piece reflects on the long journey to the first African American President - and how it will be many years until we truly understand the impact, across the world, of Obama’s election on the next generation.

The iconography of Circle of Hands is derived from Light - the first of the seven silkscreen prints from In Seven Days...