Fighting Misogyny, Racial Injustice, and the COVID Scare: New Protest Posters 2 Entries

From IF Studios in the States, Graphis Masters Toshiaki and Hisa Ide bring a striking portrait of model Alyssa Daughtery to the forefront of their fight for equality.

“Equality Now & Forever” (above, left) draws viewers in with the model’s fierce, intense expression and asks viewers to question their own gaze with the clever placement of the poster’s text. The model’s expression contrasts the delicate and complex crown of flowers on her head, demanding to be viewed as a strong feminine force and not just a pretty face.

Portuguese designer João Machado, also a Graphis Master, shares another eco-centered poster in our Protest Posters 2 Competition. “Biophilia” (above, right) is a duo of posters made for The 4th Block, an exhibit on environmental artwork meant to re-establish and explore the relationships between man and nature. The work represents a love for nature with depictions of outstretched hands masquerading as trees and doves. Machado’s poster communicates a relationship between man and nature as nurturing and loving, a portrayal often forgotten or ignored in the environmental crisis.

In the heat of protests against racial injustice in the United States, “Say their names” is a common expression used to remind us of the many innocent lives lost to the horrors of police brutality and a corrupt justice system. Jeremy Swanston’s poster, “Say Their Names,” (above, left) literally says the names of these victims and spells out the famous expression by bolding letters in the victim’s names. The poster speaks loudly and strongly, saying more than just the names of the dead.

The final new poster featured this week is “The Covid,” (above, right) a political commentary on the US government’s botched handling of the virus. Burkey Belser bases his poster’s design off of the 1959 film The Giant Leeches to parody and juxtapose the horror experienced both on the screen and in real life. Originally made for GB Holdings, the poster has received a tremendously positive response online and has even gone viral.

Don’t worry, there’s still time to submit your work to Protest Posters 2 before November 24th.