Shirien Damra's illustrations have been shared across the world. Instagram
Shirien Damra's illustrations have been shared across the world. Instagram
Shirien Damra's illustrations have been shared across the world. Instagram
Shirien Damra's illustrations have been shared across the world. Instagram

Palestinian-American artist's tributes to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor shared across the world


Sophie Prideaux
  • English
  • Arabic

As Black Lives Matter protests have spread across the world, so have tributes to George Floyd, the man whose death resparked the movement.

Perhaps the most recognisable of those tributes is an illustration by Shirien Damra, a Palestinian-American artist. Damra posted her colourful artwork shortly after Floyd's death during police arrest on Monday, May 25, and it has since been liked more than three millions times and had hundreds of thousands of shares.

But it's not just online the illustration is being shared. Over the weekend, Damra's illustration was turned into a livery for a race car driver as part of a George Floyd 100 iRacing event in North Carolina. The car was covered with the blue floral design, which features an image of Floyd with the worlds "Justice for George" printed above.

The design has also been turned into a placard by protestors taking part in Black Lives Matter demonstrations across America, as well as stencilled onto building to create mural tributes.

A second of Damra's illustrations, a tribute to 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police who broke into her home, was also widely shared at the weekend as people marked what would have been her 27th birthday.

Among those to share the artwork was Australian actress Margot Robbie, who also shared Damra’s work for Floyd.

It is not the first time the illustrator, 33, has stood in solidarity following unjust killings in the US. Earlier this year, she also created an art work following the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, who was shot while out running by two white men claiming they were conducting a citizen’s arrest for burglary.

"I was afraid that people would only see the video and remember his soul being taken away from him," Damra told Elle. "I wanted to not only have the art for myself to process, but also in the hopes that other people that are facing similar things can identify with it and help them process, too."

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