The People Behind the Black Lives Matter Art Being Shared on Instagram

George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor are all names of Black individuals whose lives were violently taken from them by police or white people, just in the past few months. Their deaths have rightfully spurred renewed grief, anger, and a continued call for justice and accountability from a system set up to bolster white people and perpetuate violence against Black people. This violence against the Black community is not new, but as a result of the recent devastating loss of life, protests against police brutality have occurred in cities across the United States over the past week. These largely peaceful protests have been met with numerous instances of unnecessary police violence and curfew orders across the country.

The thing is, it's almost always the case that when Black life is taken by white hands — especially if those hands belong to police — it seems as though everything in the aftermath is done to change the narrative, disparage the victim, and explain away their death. Anecdotes of so-called “bad behavior” are published in national outlets, however unrelated, old mugshots (if they exist) are posted on the news, and the argument that fear, rather than racism and hatred, motivated the fatal action is somehow seen as justification.

And while no one should have to live a perfect life to either stay alive or be afforded justice in the event they're killed, it’s the unfortunate truth that many Black people who are publicly victimized are only the beneficiaries of widespread advocacy if the image they’ve projected up to that point has been squeaky clean. The amount of support their families receive in the aftermath is often directly dependent on the images of them that media circulates and how they’re perceived by the public.

To counter this, images of fond memories are often posted from friends and family, and subsequently, artists often turn these beloved photos into illustrations and mixed-media works. It's likely you've seen many of these portraits and other illustrated tributes on your social media feeds lately posted with the Black Lives Matter hashtag — and the work these artists do is important. They help bring awareness to the lives unfairly and prematurely lost, and offer a small refuge from the unnecessary suffering and pain. Here, Allure has talked with some of these artists about their work and the inspiration behind what they do.

Nikkolas Smith

Nikkolas Smith, an artist based in Los Angeles, California, was inspired to create portraits of both Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd from photographs that have been widely spread on the internet. He also created another piece in Floyd’s memory, which recalls the flag the NAACP hung in its window between 1920 and 1938 that said, “A man was lynched yesterday.”

Smith calls his work — which was recently shared by Michelle Obama — “artivism,” as it exists at the intersection of art and activism, and tells Allure, “I painted this latest artivist piece because a lynching by any other name is still a lynching. George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black lives in this country are being destroyed by a virus of racism, fear, and hatred. It is up to everyone to take a stand and actively work to tear down this centuries-old pandemic.”

Stormy Nesbit

Stormy Nesbit is a Phoenix-based illustrator and designer with roots in the Midwest whose works primarily express the beauty, elegance, and strength of America’s Black communities, with a focus on the women within them. She created these illustrations as a way to articulate the struggles and hardships of being Black in America. “I and the members of my community have grown tired of being unseen, unheard, and being treated less-than,” Nesbit says of her recent pieces. “I use my platform and art to speak up for and shine a light on my community and my people because Black Lives Matter.”

Dani Coke

Atlanta-based illustrator and advocate Dani Coke says she "makes doodles designed to encourage faith, inspire justice, and guide you as you love your neighbors well." She posted her "Anatomy of an Ally" illustration back in February, but it began recirculating again as BLM protests spread across the country at the end of May. "My art aims to make complex issues more digestible and provide practical ways to help you make a difference in your community," Coke explains.

She continues: "Most humans have a heart for change. When something is wrong, we seek to do what's right – but we don't always know how to do it. With every piece I make, I want to equip good people with the tools, context, and information needed to take tangible steps towards change within their direct sphere of influence! Perfection isn't a prerequisite to participation. Everyone is invited to do their part, and I want my art to help!"

Robin Hilkey

While many Black artists have been using art to tell the stories of those who have been murdered, other people of color have also been creating work in solidarity, including Robin Hilkey, a designer, illustrator, and letterer from Brooklyn, NY. Hilkey tells Allure that she loves creating work that tells a story and makes an impact. "I started doing these portraits a couple of years ago, the first one being of Stephon Clark, mostly as a therapeutic way for me to process the news of these lives that were so tragically lost — and murdered," she says.

Hilkey, who is a designer for the non-profit Color of Change (which creates campaigns that advocate for racial justice), explains, "The portraits have been my way of memorializing these lives and sharing their story. It’s always been extremely important to me especially as an artist and designer of color to use my skills to try and make a difference and make this type of work."

Miriam Mosqueda

Miriam Mosqueda, a Brown, Queer, Indigenous (Chichimeca Guamare), poet, artist, community educator, and worker, also creates her art with solidarity at the forefront of her mind. Mosqueda, who is currently living as a guest on occupied Tuibun Ohlone land in the Bay Area, CA, posted an image of Tony McDade to her Instagram account stylized with flowers in warm golden tones with the caption, "Say his name - TONY MCDADE. Say his name - TONY MCDADE. Say his name - TONY MCDADE. Say his name - TONY MCDADE. We love you, we hold you! Hearts are heavy. Moving in ache and rage with y’all. #tonymcdade #blacktranslivesmatter" on Thursday, May 28, the day after he was killed by police in Tallahassee, Florida.

Mosqueda tells Allure, "My art is created with the intent to honor and hold in love the humans whose lives are violently taken." However, she also acknowledges that creating art is only one of the measures that folks can do to show up, and she urges artists to do whatever else they can in solidarity. Her words are important for all non-Black people to take to heart, of course, not just artists. "As artists, we also should understand that creating and sharing is only a part of solidarity; we also have to donate, show up at protests, make calls, send emails, listen, call out anti-Blackness in all spaces we’re in, put in work and live through tangible solidarity," she says.

Shirien Damra

Shirien Damra is a Palestinian designer and illustrator born and raised in Chicago. Her brightly-colored illustrations of Floyd, Taylor, and Arbery surrounded by flowers have been shared widely and collectively received over four million likes on her Instagram page. Damra says she created the illustrations as a gesture of solidarity to the Black community during a period of trauma. "The videos of Ahmaud and George's deaths in particular can re-traumatize and trigger people, so I wanted to create an alternative way to pay tribute to them," Damra tells Allure. "I wanted to create something the celebrates their lives and beauty because all too often, we see victims of anti-Black violence demonized as justification for their deaths...I wanted to provide a counter-narrative by portraying them with soft and bright, bold colors and florals. I hoped to lovingly and respectfully honor their memories while calling for action and justice."

Like Mosqueda, Damra encourages people who enjoy her art to go beyond reposting. "[Getting] likes, shares, and followers on social media has never been my goal," she says. "We have to go beyond that and fight for systematic change. Art is one of many powerful tools that can bring people together to raise awareness, take action, and ultimately change our society for the better."

Keeping that in mind, follow these artists in solidarity and support their work. Share their pieces, and say the names of those who have been killed. But don't stop there; solidarity and anti-racism are choices you make actively, from moment to moment. They are not identities you get to passively and comfortably rest on. It's vital to show up for Black people and call out anti-Blackness, both with your actions and with your words.

Additional reporting by Kara McGrath.

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Originally Appeared on Allure