An artist was forced to repaint his mural of George Floyd in Miami that was vandalized by unknown assailants.
Muralist Kyle Holbrook says that he was working on another piece Wednesday dedicated to the victims of the Surfside condo collapse when a reporter revealed to him that someone had vandalized his mural of Floyd in Overtown at the corner of Northwest 1st Avenue and 16th Street.
Holbrook initially paid homage to Floyd with the painting shortly after his May 2020 death at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Holbrook touched up the image to commemorate the anniversary of the murder that sparked an international outcry for justice, adding several elements.
Sadly, someone took it upon themselves to spray paint the words “death is 4ever” in red over Floyd’s face.
“We live in America, and the great thing about it is, you can have different views. “But if your view is hate, you never win,” Holbrook stated about his defaced artwork.
It took him about an hour to remove the damage on Thursday, which he has never experienced before on his work. He said that the destruction is “the perfect example of what a loser does.”
Holbrook is widely known for his murals in Pittsburgh and Miami. His work in the Miami area includes one depicting Kobe Bryant and another of Vice President Kamala Harris. He is the founder and CEO of MLK Mural, which uses murals and public artworks to engage with youth, artists, and families of all races.
Miami police have launched an investigation into the vandalism. As of yet, no suspects have been named.
