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After the terrible murder of George Floyd, artists paint murals to honor his memry and as a form of protest
Hundreds of protesters expressed outrage at the murder of George Floyd; slogans, marches, looting, and destruction to demand justice for him, and these murals pay tribute to Floyd, reminding us of the racism that prevails in our neighboring country (and in countries around the world).
Aziz Al-Asmar
The first piece in the list of murals in tribute to Floyd is by the Syrian Aziz Al-Asmar, who created a very moving piece. Firstly because he took a bombarded building as his canvas in Syria, a nation that has suffered the hardships of war. The artist portrayed George Floyd with a contemplative look.
Next to it, you can see the image seen around the world: the silhouette of a policeman brutally pinning Floyd to the ground. Moreover, Al-Asmar added the slogan that led the demonstrations“I can’t breathe” the last words Floyd uttered before he died.
Cadex Herrera, Greta McClain, and Xena Goldman
These three artists painted a six-meter by one-meter mural to remember George Floyd as a hero, not a martyr. In the piece, we see the portrait of the 46-year-old victim at the center. All around, his name in large capital letters, and in the background, we can see people with their fists held high, in support of Black Power and the demand for respect for the lives of African-American citizens through the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
The victim of police brutality is framed on an electric blue background and a black sunflower, whose leaves look like flames from a bright sun. Furthermore, at the center, they’ve written the list of the other African-American citizens killed by the police in recent years, including Terrence Crutcher, Freddie Grey and Sandra Bland.
Murals in tribute to George Floyd seek to make the fight against racism visible which has intensified in recent days
Jesus Cruz Artiles
Another artist who demanded justice through street art was the Dominican graffiti artist Jesús Cruz Artiles, who painted a mural in Berlin where Floyd’s portrait (similar to that painted by Syrian Aziz Al-Asmar), along with the phrase that will go down in history as evidence of racism in the US: “I can’t breathe.”
Salvatore Benintende
Salvatore Benintende, better known as TVBOY, is an Italian artist who left a life-size paste up with the figure of Floyd on a street in Barcelona. In his hands he holds a sign with the word “Stop” that would normally appear on roads. However, the artist added the word “Racism” to transform the context of the object. In addition, he added angel wings to Floyd’s silhouette as a symbol of the anti-racial struggle that his death leaves behind.
Alex Roman Jr.
Houston artist Alex Roman Jr., aka Donkeeboy, also took the motif of angel wings in this mural showing Floyd with a halo over his head that says “Always breathing in our hearts.” As opposed to Floyd’s last words: “I can’t breathe.”
“This is something I have to do for the city, for Floyd’s family and friends,” said Roman. In addition, in the corner where the murder occurred, lived his mother, Mrs. Cissy. Hence, it was a pretty significant piece for the Minneapolis community.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
