DUBAI: On February 23, a black American man named Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed while on a run in his Brunswick, Georgia neighborhood. The unarmed 25-year-old was reportedly killed by a former police officer and his son.
Upon hearing about Arbery’s tragic death, 33-year-old freelance artist Shirien Darma sought to honor Arbery and show solidarity with the black community through her art. “I was afraid that people would only see the video and remember his soul being taken away from him,” the artist told Elle.com. “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.”
The Palestinian-American artist went on to create a portrait of the deceased man against a moss green and floral backdrop with the words “Justice for Ahmaud” written above his head. The digital illustration, which she posted on social media, has garnered almost 400,000 likes since its time of posting, and has been widely shared on the platform.
In the following weeks, she made similar digital portraits after the deaths of African-Americans Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, who were also killed at the hands of the police. Her illustration of Floyd was re-posted by several celebrities, including French-Tunisian model and singer Sonia Ben Ammar, and has garnered over three million likes.
As the daughter of Palestinian Muslim immigrants, Damra is highly conscious of the issues of racism and oppression, so she makes sure to use her art as a tool to raise awareness. Damra’s Instagram account features art in support a variety of causes including Indigenous Peoples' Day, International Women's Day and coronavirus frontline workers.
