For a 2020 portrait-illustration assignment from Shannon Levin, I made a Portrait of X González, the American gun-control activist who survived the 2018 Parkland shooting. I was inspired by X's strength and compassion, and wanted to depict them in a way that emphasized both.
X Gonzalez, Getty images Photo by Remy Smidt; BuzzFeed News
As far as iconography goes, X had several notable "looks" from their various speeches—the most remembered being this green jacket covered in activist patches. I thought that this jacket was a pretty strong visual signifier of X's beliefs and personality. Besides the jacket, I knew that I wanted to focus on X's signature wristbands. X has stated that the various bracelets represent students who died at Parkland, as well as "'friends who are still alive.'"
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