The Statue of Liberty covers her face together with her palms ― in disgrace, sorrow and horror ― in a brand new politically charged avenue artwork mural that has been painted in northern France and that President Donald Trump’s MAGA supporters are melting down over.
Netherlands-based artist Judith de Leeuw — aka JDL avenue artwork — painted the piece in Roubaix final week.
“I created this piece because my heart breaks when I look at the state of the world today,” de Leeuw informed 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. This work is my voice.”
De Leeuw admitted she’d been shocked by simply what number of hundreds of thousands of individuals have now seen photographs of her newest work on-line, and by the backlash from Trump voters.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) commented on X, previously Twitter, that the piece “disgusts me.” “If any country ought to be kissing our ass it’s France. My Uncle Roy fought and died and is buried there for their freedom,” he wrote.
The controversial Libs Of TikTok account, in the meantime, stated the “artist has a sad case of TDS,” or so-called Trump Derangement Syndrome.
However de Leeuw stated she is unrepentant.
“I stand by what I’ve done. In a world that feels increasingly unjust, I believe activism is not a choice, but a duty,” she informed HuffPost.
Of the which means of the piece, she defined: “The original Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the U.S., a symbol that everyone should be free: free to exist, free to be themselves. But today, we have to ask: ‘Is that still true?’”
The Trump administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown was a specific spur to motion, she stated, noting she couldn’t “witness this kind of injustice without responding.”
“I was raised in a Moroccan neighborhood in Amsterdam and later lived in a predominantly African and Surinamese district,” she recalled. “Amsterdam is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and I’ve always considered that diversity a gift — it fills our streets with color, culture and joy. Roubaix, too, has one of the highest immigrant populations in France. We share that experience, that understanding.”
De Leeuw acknowledged that her political artwork could now make it troublesome to journey to America.
“I may never be allowed into the U.S. again,” she stated.
“Instagram has already warned me that my account could be removed,” she continued. “I’ve also heard that I may lose commissions because of this. But if that’s the price for doing what I believe is right, then so be it.”
“When friends ask me whether it was wise to make this move, I always say,
‘If I had been Adolf Hitler’s best friend, I might’ve been a millionaire by 1940. But what would that say about me?’” she added.
