Artist finds creative way to share the message 'wash your hands'

LOS ANGELES -- For years, artist Eric Junker has been reminding people to wash their hands with his art.

Junker created the "Lavez Les Mains" poster about four years ago to remind restaurant employees to wash their hands before returning to work. Now with the coronavirus pandemic, Junker decided to make his work even more accessible with a downloadable coloring book that spreads the message in multiple languages.

"It really seemed to resonate with people and then I created a series of limited-edition screen-printed posters of the handwashing poster which we started buying and putting in other restaurants," said Junker. "It was just by serendipity of the times that it was suddenly - it became a PSA with the onset of the urgency to watch hands during the COVID quarantine."

The poster was first displayed in the New York City restaurant Lafayette and has since been placed in restaurant bathrooms in Silver Lake and Highland Park.

But now Junker's work has taken on a new urgency.

"I want people to wash their hands. It's much more urgent. The original one was for the restaurant was for the employees to wash their hands before returning to work," said Junker.

People who want to get their hands on the poster can buy one on his website or at Silverlake Wine.