Artist, Lindsay Ekstrom, makes several design decisions with each of her original portraits. Learn why she chose to dress Martin Luther King Jr. in his selected clothing and accessories.
Tattoos tell many stories in Lindsay Ekstrom's paintings, but there is also intention behind the clothing and accessories that may seem rather simple. See the symbolism of colors, fabrics, and position of the outfit that Martin Luther King Jr. is wearing in the portrait, 'MLK'.
Psychologically, the color pink is known to create a sense of peace, relaxation, and harmony. Martin Luther King King Jr. is dressed in light pink. Baker-Miller Pink is a specific shade of pink that was claimed to reduce violent, hostile, or aggressive behavior. This shade was originally made with the ratio of one gallon of white paint to one pint of red paint. The color had extensive emotional research conducted at the Naval Correctional Facility in Seattle, Washington. The color was named after the two directors of the institute; Baker and Miller.
King did in fact wear a gold Rolex throughout the later years of his life. He can be seen wearing a similar watch in the portrait. The time on the watch reads 1:15, representing his birthday, January 15th, 1929. His birthday has now been deemed a national holiday. The date window on the watch shows "4", representing his four children, Bernice, Yolanda, Dexter, and Martin Luther King III.
Greatly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, King used his example of peaceful protests in his own movements. His connection to Gandhi can be seen with the bracelet made out of torn linen cloth in the piece. King's resolve for nonviolence was being tested through gruesome attacks at the time. In 1959, he and his wife, Coretta decided to go to India as a pilgrimage to learn about Gandhi's practices with nonviolence. While at Gandhi's house, Martin slept on the floor to feel close to the deceased man of unwavering peace.
Chain mail is a type of armor that was commonly used around the third century. Similarly, MLK is wearing his own version of chain mail in the form of two diamond necklaces. His involvement and leadership in the Civil Rights movement made he and his family large targets for hate and violence. He survived a life-threatening assassination attempt in 1958 when a woman stabbed him in the chest with a 7-inch-long letter opener at a book signing in Harlem, New York.
To view more on the portrait, browse 'MLK' under 'Symbols & Stories'. https://lxartworks.com/pages/mlk