Murals around the
world capture
George Floyd and
his last words

Author: Danielle Brennan
Art Editor: Jenny Chang-Rodriguez

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd cried out the words "I can't breathe" while Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes. His death stunned people everywhere and made us think about the world in which we live.

These artists used their talent to capture a moment in time and ensure George Floyd will live on.

Here are various murals and reflections from artists around the world.

“I hoped that with my mural, the people who live in societies [where] the police are a bit more 'educated' or less racist see that we have a big problem in America and they can feel empathy.”
@eme_freethinker, Mauerpark, Berlin, Germany

Artist Micky Doc puts the finishing touches on a mural of George Floyd at the International Wall of Art on Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

A pedestrian walks past a mural depicting George Floyd on a side wall of CTown Supermarket in Brooklyn, New York. It was painted by artist Kenny Altidor.

A child views a mural dedicated to George Floyd across the street from the Cuney Homes housing project in Houston's Third Ward. This housing project is where Floyd grew up and later mentored young men in Houston, Texas.

A woman walks past a boarded-up storefront with a George Floyd mural in New York City.

Kimberly King and Genevieve Bell walk past a mural displaying the faces of Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Sandra Bland, George Floyd and others on a building along South 11th Street in Louisville, Kentucky.

Artist Micky Doc puts the finishing touches on a mural of George Floyd at the International Wall of Art on Falls Road in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

A pedestrian walks past a mural depicting George Floyd on a side wall of CTown Supermarket in Brooklyn, New York. It was painted by artist Kenny Altidor.

A child views a mural dedicated to George Floyd across the street from the Cuney Homes housing project in Houston's Third Ward. This housing project is where Floyd grew up and later mentored young men in Houston, Texas.

A woman walks past a boarded-up storefront with a George Floyd mural in New York City.

Kimberly King and Genevieve Bell walk past a mural displaying the faces of Breonna Taylor, David McAtee, Sandra Bland, George Floyd and others on a building along South 11th Street in Louisville, Kentucky.
“Sometimes as an artist, your aim is to create change in the eyes of the protesters and the people dealing and fighting with the issues. For me it was a larger picture. I want the children of today to grow up remembering the images we created in hopes that these instances of vivid reality will shape the way they move forward in life and grow up with a better world than we have currently.”
Paul Glyn-Williams (Sumartist), Toronto, Canada

“I’ve been painting fallen officers for 17 years. When I saw the way they were painting all officers as bad, I thought I had to do something to bridge the gap between the community and the men in blue who served and protected our community.

“I decided to honor and pay tribute to George Floyd by doing a mural for the family and also to connect the NYPD officers to my community.

“Going forward, I hope we don’t have to protest or wait for another George Floyd case for us to get justice when something happens. ”
Kenny Altidor, Hatian-born artist, Brooklyn, New York

A mural painted by artist Kenny Altidor depicting George Floyd is unveiled on a side wall of CTown supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

A mural painted by artist Kenny Altidor depicting George Floyd is unveiled on a side wall of CTown supermarket in Brooklyn, New York.

A woman walks past a mural of George Floyd that reads, "Changed the World" in Los Angeles, California.

A George Floyd mural on a building in the Third Ward in Houston, Texas.

Artists have memorialized George Floyd with murals and street art in the Melrose District in Los Angeles, California.

A woman kneels and raises a fist as she poses in front of a mural of George Floyd in Graffiti Alley in Toronto, Canada. The well-known Toronto alleyway is being painted with prominent Black figures and messages of solidarity against racism in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Graffiti in honor of George Floyd is displayed on a wall in Oakland, California.

A woman walks past a mural of George Floyd that reads, "Changed the World" in Los Angeles, California.

A George Floyd mural on a building in the Third Ward in Houston, Texas.

Artists have memorialized George Floyd with murals and street art in the Melrose District in Los Angeles, California.

A woman kneels and raises a fist as she poses in front of a mural of George Floyd in Graffiti Alley in Toronto, Canada. The well-known Toronto alleyway is being painted with prominent Black figures and messages of solidarity against racism in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Graffiti in honor of George Floyd is displayed on a wall in Oakland, California.

“What happened to George Floyd was horrific. It shouldn’t have happened this way but unfortunately, it happened that way. It’s not right, it’s not fair."

Kenny Altidor

A mural depicts George Floyd and the words, "I Can't Breathe" and "But We Can Hear You" by artist Paul Glyn-Williams in Graffiti Alley in Toronto, Canada.

A mural depicts George Floyd and the words, "I Can't Breathe" and "But We Can Hear You" by artist Paul Glyn-Williams in Graffiti Alley in Toronto, Canada.

“I wanted people to see that even though he was gone and couldn’t breathe in the moment and his life was taken, that in his death, his voice was heard by all of us.”
Paul Glyn-Williams

A mural of George Floyd is painted on a wall along Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado.

A mural of George Floyd is painted on a wall along Colfax Avenue in Denver, Colorado.

Find more info about artists Kenny Altidor, eme_freethinker, Paul Glyn-Williams.

Get more stories and videos about the Black community, here.

Follow the latest news from TODAY.

Bianca Britton, Stefan Skyes and Mish Whalen contributed to this project.