Hank Willis Thomas Honors the Legacy of Jesse Owens in New Print

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are officially underway and American artist Hank Willis Thomas is releasing a special limited-edition print for the occasion. Produced in collaboration with Avant Arte, The only bond worth anything between human beings is their humanness. depicts legendary American track and field star Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, despite the racial discrimination set out by the Third Reich during both the tournament and in the years to follow.

Based on an original work Thomas is exhibiting in Paris, Owens is depicted racing towards the finish line in a black halftone effect, clad in a red and doily patterned white uniform amidst a collaged blue background — together representing the American flag.

At the time, Owens shattered the record for the 100m dash, logging in a time of 10.3 seconds at the Olympics. Owens’ running ability was only half of the battle, however, as he, along with all athletes deemed of an “impure” background continued to excel, despite facing dehumanization by the Nazi party. Today, as it was yesterday, Thomas believes that “athletes are more than people who run fast, jump long ways, throw balls – they symbolize our greatest hopes and dreams.”

The time-limited print will only be available during a 48-hour window, starting on August 7 at 9am PT. The only bond is a 10 layer textured UV pigment print with matt varnish seal on 410gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper, which will come unframed for $720 USD and in a black or white frame for $1,081 USD.