This illustration was done during a partnered illustration mentorship between the Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC) and Ribbon Rouge Edmonton to bring awareness to HIV in Edmonton.
This piece is part of a larger series titled “Queens” which as determined by Ribbon Rouge; an influential woman in the world that has made a difference to the lives of others either in our history or current society. Each student participating in the mentorship was given a queen to illustrate.
The queen represented in this illustration is Phindile Sithole-Spong, who is an HIV/Aids activist from South Africa working to beat stigma around HIV/Aids and sexual health among young people through her organization “Rebranding HIV”.
This illustration depicts Sithole-Spong breaking a red barrier as a crowd of African women follow her through. The red barrier represents HIV and the image of her breaking through the barrier depicts the action of shattering stigma around HIV and leading a new generation of young woman to a future where such stigmas and misconceptions don’t exist.
Until next time!