Top 10 Black Lives Matter Shirt Designs
At Inkster, we persistently scrub the web to bring forward the most artistic and inventive motivational designs and help you create ideas for t-shirts we can print for you! From the eccentric to the serious, we make sure to comb for the best designs out there and bring them together for your suitability. This week, we’ll be dealing with the more serious side of things, with the top 10 Black Lives Matter designs that you can use to show your support for the movement.
Alex Nabaum created this design for an article in the New York Times. The image is incredibly evocative, using powerful imagery to tell an equally powerful story. The story of a community’s grief at the loss of so many innocent people is told in true “Picture worth a thousand words” form, the outlines of bodies forming a clear human face, full of despair. The emotion in this picture is remarkable and very well done.
The interesting thing about this design is that, although it appears in many articles and on many websites, we haven’t been able to find a definite source for it. Regardless, whoever did create this design originally should be commended for their ability. The black and white simplicity of the design lends itself well to the text-heavy nature of the image. In addition, the negative spaces created by the black-on-black overlap-add just a little bit of complexity.
This image, by Emily Rasmussen, is very evocative. This image evokes the classic “Hands up, don’t shoot” gesture that BLM popularized, and the use of single hands also adds a feeling that the hands are reaching up, not just in a gesture of surrender but reaching for something, whether it be hope, progress, change, or something else.
This piece, by Deviantart user Izzykahn, combines a lot of things into one image. Combining so many components without making the final product look overcrowded is difficult, but Izzykahn’s art doesn’t come off as too cluttered. The combination of the BLM abbreviation overlaid with the American flag is well done, and the names of past victims adorning the white stripes are a powerful motif.
The colors in this piece are outstanding. The collage-like aesthetic of the wrist bangles adds complexity to the image, and the brilliant, bright gold color contrasts beautifully with the pink and purple background and the duller tones of the fist and fences. The arrangement of the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” on the bangles is a bold choice, and while it’s not immediately evident, the complexity of the bangles draws the eye more than enough to encourage the viewer to see the message.
The detail and specificity in this picture are astounding. The classic MLK quote is brought vibrantly to life through Joel Birch’s work in this picture, and where many artists would find it difficult to express such delicateness with just black and white, Birtch does it magnificently. The symbolism in this piece is also outstanding. The ripped American flag, the olive branch, the literal ripple effect, everything comes together quite well and makes a piece as aesthetically pleasing as it is relevant.
I love this design. It’s incredibly well done on so many levels. The iconic hoodie serves a dual purpose as an equally iconic resistant fist, and the visible change from “Stand your ground” to “Stand our ground” is done so well. Instead of just having text that says “Stand our ground,” Tes One makes a point of signifying the erasure of “Stand your ground” and turning it into a rallying cry. The simplicity of this image, its minimalistic palette, and its symbolism all come together to make it a fantastic piece of artwork.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a name for the creator of this image. Regardless, they’ve done a good job at a more minimalistic design. The roughness of the lettering style lends the piece a frantic essence, a feeling of panic, and the hands, ironically, seem almost to be shaking. This image doesn’t say much, but it doesn’t need to.