Happy Posters is an independent project by ASK LAB exploring the contradictions between optimistic visual language and uncomfortable social realities. The series was inspired by news stories in which people were arrested for acts of kindness, peaceful initiatives, or humanitarian actions. These paradoxes became the foundation for a collection of posters that appear cheerful at first glance while revealing a far more unsettling narrative beneath the surface.

Each composition features a smiling face constructed from human hands and handcuffs, combining symbols of happiness and restraint into a single graphic gesture. The posters deliberately balance humor with discomfort, inviting viewers to question how positive actions can sometimes lead to deeply contradictory consequences. By reducing complex social stories to bold, universal symbols, Happy Posters demonstrates how graphic design can communicate difficult ideas with clarity, irony, and visual restraint.