Nikkolas Smith calls himself an "artivist": an artist and an activist. The Los Angeles-based concept artist has celebrated and mourned Black lives in his work for the past seven years.

He says he follows the lead of the late singer Nina Simone, who advised the artist to reflect the times.

 "There are so many Black lives that have just been taken from this Earth. I've been trying to try to process how that made me feel as a Black man."

"People have told me they feel like my art is a superpower because it helps people grieve and it helps people to process and deal with topics that may be heavy," Smith says. "It might put a smile on their face, make them laugh, or make them cry."