7 activist illustrators to start following right now

Artwork above by Caitlin Blunnie, Ashley Lukashevsky and Devon Blow

With the current tense political and social climate in our country, there has been a significant rise in art and activism in recent years. Reflect on how many reposts you see on Instagram talking about social activism or the amount of petitions you see calling action for equality. Activism is now intertwined in our everyday lives whether that be through social media, school, work or even our community. There’s no avoiding it, and at this point many of us have embraced the idea of speaking up for what we believe in.

The way we go about being activists is what really differentiates; for some, we start petitions and host rallies, others use fashion to make a statement. But another distinct trend on social media are artists and illustrators. The amount of illustration activism around social media has increased exponentially within this past year alone, and I personally think that will only continue to grow. So, who are the talented artists behind these inspiring designs? No Kill has compiled a list of 7 amazing illustrators that are paving a way of using their art for activism.

Sarah Epperson

Illustrator, Sarah Epperson, shows that even art is a powerful tool to fight against the patriarchy. On her Instagram account, @sarah.epperson, her illustrations immediately pop with a mix of bold and bright colors. But what makes them impactful are their messages that range from pop culture to feminism to ending the patriarchy. Epperson’s art has continually made a difference for the better. She was even one of the artists to be featured in The Amplifier Foundation x Women’s March #PowerToThePolls Campaign; a national voter-registration drive and traveling art exhibition targeting swing states.

Taylor Steinbeck

Taylor Steinbeck’s social media page is filled with completely pink illustrations, which is fitting since her IG handle is @shegotthepink. She is a feminist artists who enjoys “creating feminist illustrations that empower women & folks of marginalized backgrounds to cultivate a practice of radical self-compassion.” Along with passion for feminism her art and activism embraces queer, mental health and social justice issues. Her illustrations are the perfect combination of personal and political and we look forward to seeing what’s next.

Caitlin Blunnie

When you think of the word “liberal”, you probably envision someone who is passionate about what they believe and have a lot to say about said beliefs. Well Caitlin Blunnie, also known as @liberaljane, certainly has a lot to say with her art. Her art focuses on feminism but still covers a multitude of other topics including body positivity, queerness, abortion, social justice and income inequality to name a few. In an interview with JeJune Magazine, Blunnie describes feminism as “understanding that oppression is intersectional, and needs to be addressed as such. Feminism for me is about seeking to achieve social justice, and standing in solidarity with others fighting oppression.” Well, there’s no question that Blunnie has used her platform to combine art and activism to openly address these needs. If you’re someone who enjoys looking at educational illustrations while getting your daily dose of social media, then this is an account you will thoroughly enjoy.

Annabelle Golden

Annabelle Golden, the talented artist behind the Instagram account @graphicsandgrain, “was inspired to use her art as a way to impart important ideas and draw attention to issues she is passionate about.” Annabelle is very passionate about environmentalism and environmental justice. A lot of her designs are nature inspired and consist of vivid and vibrant landscapes. Her art is more than a way to spread awareness on the important environmental issues out there in the world. It is also a way to spread positivity “that will allow people to think and reflect on their mindset or current situation and either be grateful for the current moment or be hopeful for the future.” Her aesthetic is calm and soothing and brings a refreshing sense of peace to your daily scroll through the Instagram feed.

Burcu Köleli

In her Instagram bio, Burcu Köleli describes herself as an intersectional environmentalist and intersectional feminist, and her art truly lives up to those titles. According to her website Burcu “aims to create inclusive artworks that dismantles stereotypical views on body image and women’s sexuality.” Her vibrant colors and playful aesthetic brings a sense of joy to these otherwise serious matters. As you scroll through her page, not all of the designs have words or phrases. But it doesn’t need it because the art speaks for itself. Her creativity extends even to her captions where she will consistently write inspirational quotes, messages and drop links to different resources to tap into. If you love her art and activism as much as we do, you can go to her website where you are able to shop her designs for wall art and room decor.

Devon Blow

Los Angeles based illustrator and designer, Devon Blow, has used her work to highlight social justice activism. Most recently you may have seen her Juneteenth illustration featured on the Instagram account @Impact. Her designs are colorful, bold and bright with a pop-art style aesthetic. As an artist she describes her mission to “inspire and empower vulnerable, marginalized, neglected and disenfranchised communities; and to celebrate cultural expression in all forms.” She has always seen her art as an opportunity to inspire change and for people to be better.

“Its really important to me to uplift marginalized people no matter what I’m doing. Its just amazing to me that anyone even see’s it and cares. That means the most to me.”

Ashley Lukashevsky

As described in her Instagram bio, artist Ashley Lukashevsky is a “mixed queer illustrating just futures.” Born in Hawaii but based in LA, Lukashevsky has a passion to use her art as a tool to strengthen social movements. Her illustrations cover issues regarding racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, climate justice and migrant justice. On her website, Lukashevsky believes that “in order to tear down harmful systems, we need to be able to envision a world without them. I’m trying to draw what that world looks like.” Lukashevsky isn’t just creating to fight the present but designing to help build a better future. Her work brings a whole different perspective on activism and reminds people that only we have the power within ourselves to create change for the better.

–Janelle Sessoms

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