The Lips

Lips by fnnch
20’ x 10’ stainless steel and aluminum, automotive and spray paint, 3,000 lbs

Somewhere between roadside attraction and pop art daydream, a set of giant crimson lips rests in the New Mexico high desert—sensual, playful, and impossible to miss.

This is Lips, the only large-scale sculpture ever created by San Francisco–based street artist fnnch, known worldwide for his bright, stencil-based murals. His work is designed for the “other 95%” of people who may never set foot in a modern art museum—art you encounter on the street, art you can’t help but engage with.

Here, his signature motif isn’t painted on a crosswalk or a city wall—it’s been reimagined in stainless steel and aluminum, stretching 20 feet wide and 10 feet tall. The form is aerodynamic and precise, fabricated with the help of sculpture collaborator Stocky, who cut and welded the underlying frame. The surface gleams with automotive-grade paint and spray-painted detail, as glossy as a candy apple, as unapologetic as a Rolling Stones album cover.

The piece was originally designed for easy transport and installation, yet it carries the weight—literally and figuratively—of a monumental desert landmark. Step closer and you’ll notice that Lips isn’t just for looking; fnnch wanted something climbable, something you could lounge inside. The curve of the inner lip offers a shaded respite, an Art City moment where the art doesn’t just exist in front of you—it holds you.

Born out of a career that began in anonymity, fnnch’s work has moved from guerrilla street pieces to murals in cities around the world, to fine art in private collections spanning 48 states and 20 countries. But Lips is rare: one-of-one, big enough to see from the road, and bold enough to make you pull over.

Against the backdrop of Art City’s sweeping desert and endless sky, Lips feels like a billboard without a brand—a visual wink for anyone passing through, reminding you that art can be sexy, safe, and absolutely everywhere.