Meet Tyler Gordon, a 13-year-old prodigy painter who is using his amazing art to highlight social issues. He recently painted a beautiful tribute to George Floyd, a Minnesota resident who was murdered by police officers on May 25, which has since triggered protests against systemic racism and police brutality nationwide.
Normally, Tyler Gordon, a native of San Jose, California, paints pictures of famous people, but recently he has focused his work on drawing awareness to social issues, such as bullying and racial injustice. Gordon was moved by what happened to George Floyd and channeled his emotions into his art, creating a magnificent portrait of Floyd and writing a passionate letter.
His letter reads in part: “Dear George, you don’t know me but I know you. I know you were a father, a son. You were a brother, you were a nephew, you were loved. To know you was to love you,” said Gordon. “I’m scared, I’m confused. I don’t understand. I’m hurt and I just want to be with my mom. Is this my future?”
Tyler Gordon’s painting of George Floyd is not his only painting that covers racial injustice. He also created a portrait of the late Breonna Taylor, an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) from Kentucky who was killed by police officers when they broke into her home and murdered her in her sleep on March 13.
Tyler Gordon lives with his mother, Nicole Kindle, who also paints. At the age of 10, Gordon took up painting. He regularly does commissions for people, creates portraits of celebrities and highlights social issues with his art. A rising entrepreneur, Gordon promotes his art on social media such as Facebook and Instagram and has made quite a name for himself. He even teaches art classes on Instagram.
Tyler Gordon’s amazing artwork soon gained him much attention. In 2018, Gordon appeared on comedian Steve Harvey’s show Little Big Shots, where he presented Harvey with portraits of him and his wife Marjorie. Gordon even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and also won a 2020 Global Child Prodigy Award in May, making him one of only 100 children around the world to be selected.
