IN PICS | US artists turn plywood from BLM protests into sculptures

For New York artist Tanda Francis, the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 were a historic event.

To honour those who participated and create a permanent tribute to the racial justice movement, Francis took plywood used to board up storefronts across the city last year and turned it into a sculpture called “RockIt Black.”

“To transform this plywood that was on the streets during the Black Lives Matter actual uprising is... amazing,” Francis told Reuters. “In my work, I actually use the colour black and actually try to elevate it, kind of contrast to how it's been sort of stigmatised in our culture.”

Francis was one of five artists chosen to participate in the The Plywood Protection Project organised by worthless studios, a New York not-for-profit.

Skylar Barnes, who works and lives in the Bronx near the “In Honour of Black Lives Matter” sculpture, said the artwork reminds her of the reasons why people went out to the streets.

“I see that the sculptures are speaking out that we need some more justice and that laws need to be fixed. So there could be equality for everyone,” said Barnes.

Reuters