MLK DAY
Sarra Haji: Digital Artist and Illustrator
I’ve always loved art, it was my favourite subject at school. All I ever did when I was little was draw and doodle. I only started pursuing a career in the art world half-way through the first lockdown in 2020 and since then I’ve consistently built my portfolio and have connected with amazing individuals. I’m at a stage in my life where I want to learn and improve my craft as much as possible, whilst continuing to create and hone down on what I’m most passionate about.
This Martin Luther King Jr. piece stems from that place. I think that we all need to use our voice and talents in whichever way we can to help to fight injustice and raise awareness. I’m not the best at expressing myself through words, as I get very emotional; so, for me, my form of expression is through art. I’m very passionate about activism, and it’s a perspective that I want to weave within my work because it is an important part of who I am.
When starting this digital painting, my idea was to reference the black and white photographs of MLK that are typically shown to us. They usually create the illusion that the Civil Rights Movement is a moment stuck in the past - when, in actuality, it isn’t.
Martin Luther King Jr. continues to be an iconic leader who represents a pillar of strength and a peaceful approach towards systemic racism. The torn pieces reference heartbreak and struggle, juxtaposed with a warm, almost serene, heartfelt image of MLK. The background is made up of archived newspaper clippings, posters from the civil rights movement and speeches delivered by Martin Luther King. I collaged these together with a line from one of MLK’s famous speeches, quoted as a prominent headline: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’ The mixture of colour in the foreground and black and white clippings in the background brings us into the present day, whilst creating the illusion of looking through a window towards that specific time in history.
Martin Luther King was a visionary leader; I was careful to paint him in such a way that pays respect to who he was, what he achieved and what he means to a global Black community and many other underrepresented minorities.
