CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Artists in Charlotte are fighting the spread of COVID-19 with paint and brushes.
Girish Nair painted a mural Saturday of two people wearing masks while social distancing. In the middle he painted the virus itself.
“The tentacles of the virus are human hands,” Nair says.
The hands are to show different races, because this virus can attack anyone.
Nair has been a professional artist for 10 years and while he’s done a lot of paintings, he says this one hits close to home.
“I have already lost a few of my friends, so I am not going to take this lightly,” Nair says.
The painting is part of the Count On Me CLT initiative to encourage the community to fight the spread of COVID-19. Uday Vedre is helping coordinate with businesses across Charlotte to display the murals.
"If you are going to work, you want to make sure you are not infecting others," Vedre says. "If you are positive, then you don’t want to go out and you need to quarantine yourself."
At the events, Vedre says they will have materials in Spanish as well as English.
“There is a concern among a lot of the immigrant and minority populations,” Vedre says. "Some don’t have the means or they don’t speak the same language.”
Nair says he sees his mural is not only a message, but a way to honor those who are no longer with us.
"It’s a dedication to all those people who have lost their lives,” Nair says.
Locations with murals:
West End Seafood Market – Beatties Ford Rd.
Suggested by: Ricky Sing (Associated with Historic West End)
Artist: Ricky Sing and two support artists
Installation: Oct. 15 and 16
Tabla Restaurant – South Charlotte
Suggested by: Uday Vedre (Carolina Business Alliance)
Artist: Girish Nair
Installation: Oct. 17
Monolo’s Bakery – Central Ave
Suggested by: Rocio Gonzalez (Latin American Chamber)
Artist: Irisol Gonzalez
Status: Confirmed
Installation: Oct. 25
