Unveiled just before the Fourth of July, Judith de Leeuw unveiled a mural, which shows the Statue of Liberty covering her eyes in shame, and caused a sensation. The piece, which was painted in France for the URBX Festival in Roubaix, is a direct response to President Donald Trump’s recent immigration policies and mass deportations. After witnessing a news report about an immigrant taken from his home while his child watched, the Dutch artist knew that she had to make a statement.
De Leeuw depicted the Statue of Liberty specifically due to the sense of freedom the sculpture represents. With Lady Liberty covering her eyes, she seems to be wondering whether or not that freedom is still viable.
“I created this piece because my heart breaks when I look at the state of the world today,” she told HuffPost. “I’m deeply concerned—not only about the fragile friendship between the EU and the U.S., but also about the cruelty of current immigration policies. As an artist, I feel a moral obligation to speak up when the world is in pain.”
Titled, The Statue of Liberty’s Silent Protest, it comes a few months after a French politician made headlines for demanding that the United States give the Statue of Liberty back. Reaction to De Leeuw’s mural was sharply divided, with the comments section of her Instagram post becoming a battleground for opposing opinions of President Trump’s immigration policies.
Despite the harsh negative comments from conservatives on her post, De Leeuw stands behind her art. “In a world that feels increasingly unjust, I believe activism is not a choice, but a duty,” she told Hyperallergic.
That sense of duty may bring consequences, with De Leeuw telling HuffPost that she’s received warnings from Instagram that her account may be removed. She’s also at risk of losing a commission and acknowledges that future travel to the U.S. may be more difficult now. Still, she wouldn’t change a thing.
“If that’s the price for doing what I believe is right, then so be it.”
Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw sparked controversy with her mural of the Statue of Liberty covering her face in shame.
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