Texas Artists are Inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris — See the Creative Works

The 2021 inauguration marked the first time someone Black or of South Asian descent became Vice President of the United States. To commemorate this landmark moment, Amber Mostyn of Houston’s Mostyn Law Firm, commissioned four artists to share their personal interpretations of  Vice President Kamala Harris in a project called The Soul of the Nation Salute. 

The resulting works by Rico Edwards, Linda Simien Kelly, Tra’ Slaughter and Kaima Marie will be awarded to four lucky people in an online drawing this Monday, March 29. Four randomly selected winners will each receive one of the four commissioned pieces. 

Let’s take a closer look at the works.

Vice President Kamala Harris by Rico Edwards

New Orleans-born artist Rico Edwards strives to uplift oppressed people through his artwork. 

Edwards picked a darker shade of blue for this piece because he believes that Vice President Kamala Harris is strong figure and he wanted to portray her influence, especially on young aspiring kids. 

“I hope that the person who wins my piece has a daughter or son who can see this every day in their house and be inspired to be the next Vice President,” Edwards said. 

The Identity of Change by Linda Simien Kelly

Artist Linda Simien Kelly is a contemporary artist from Louisiana. Black identity, cultural solidarity and ethnic perception have been important themes in her work. 

“I was already thinking about painting a portrait of Harris before this project, so when I was approached for the project, it was like someone was speaking to me spiritually,” Kelly said. 

Kelly wanted to portray Harris as a strong leader who represents change. She thought about past generations of social justice leaders and their struggles to pave the way for equal justice for all. 

The artist chose bold colors to illustrate all that Harris represents to her — change, unity and diversity.

46 by Tra’ Slaughter

Artist Tra’ Slaughter is a self-taught creator from the southeast coast of Texas who enjoys evolving as an artist every day. 

“I am a storyteller at heart, and incorporating people into my work and sharing their stories is one of my goals as an artist,” he said. 

His Kamala Harris work is meant to reflects honor, grace, appreciation and representation, all rolled into one piece. 

HERstory by Kaima Marie

Contemporary artist Kaima Marie is a Houston native who previously created a portrait of Kamala Harris back in 2018. 

“We live in a male-dominant world, which we even see in the art world, so I think it’s important that young women have a strong female leader like Harris to look up to now,” Marie said.

Those who registered onlined by Sunday, March 28 are eligible for the random drawing. For more information, click here.