18 Black Artists Showcased Their Powerful Work Front and Center at the US Open

Alisha Wilkerson is a self-taught artist who creates "bright, bold, and expressive illustrations" that celebrate the Black community. Her piece "Queen" is inspired by Breonna Taylor and seeks to shed Black women of the "loud and sassy" stereotype by highlighting their softness and beauty.

"I realized after Breonna Taylor was murdered that we as Black women aren't allowed our flowers while we're alive, and have to wait until after an untimely death to get them," Wilkerson said. "And even then we're still battling stereotypes set out by the media. The murder of Breonna Taylor pushed me to want to start making images of Black women as we should be seen: as Queens. If this helps someone from the next generation see their beauty early on, then I've done my job as an artist."