Faith-Driven Mississippi Artist Honors Charlie Kirk With Powerful Portrait Despite Backlash
A Mississippi-based painter known as Sam Ryan has created a striking tribute to the late Charlie Kirk, painting a portrait that has stirred both national admiration and controversy. The image, revealed just one day after Kirk’s assassination, was prominently featured during the Turning Point USA founder’s memorial ceremony on September 21 — viewed by millions across the country.
Ryan, who goes by Sam Ryan on social media and runs Sam Ryan Studios, described the piece as a heartfelt act of service inspired by faith and personal connection. The portrait captures Kirk in a solemn pose, hands pressed together in front of his face, reflecting a moment of deep prayer or contemplation. Ryan chose a color palette of bold reds, blacks, whites, and blues — a deliberate nod to Kirk’s patriotic message and legacy.
Speaking to Fox News Digital just before what would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday, Ryan revealed that the two had shared a brief but meaningful exchange in 2024, after Kirk saw Ryan’s viral painting of President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the July 13 assassination attempt. Kirk had reached out via direct message to express admiration and request a print for his studio. “That was the last thing I heard from him,” Ryan said.
Motivated by that personal moment and by his Christian faith, Ryan said he felt called to paint Kirk’s portrait overnight after hearing news of his murder. “I wanted to do him a service,” Ryan said. “The best way I could was to memorialize him for everybody to see and add to his legacy.”
The portrait, completed in just 12 hours, was shared with the public early on September 11. The reference image was sourced from a photograph of Kirk praying, taken by Dan Fleuette, and Ryan said it perfectly symbolized Kirk’s heart and purpose.
However, the tribute came at a cost. Ryan said he lost over 100,000 followers across his platforms, including 44,000 from Instagram alone. He has also received death threats — all for honoring someone he considered a friend. “It wasn’t really a political statement,” Ryan said. “It was more of a personal sentiment for his family, and something God’s given me the ability to do.”
Despite the backlash, Ryan gained over a million new followers in the weeks following the portrait’s release. “I think a couple hundred thousand per platform,” he added, noting that the support from fellow conservatives and Christians far outweighed the hate.
Ryan made the journey from Mississippi to Arizona to attend the September 21 memorial, where the painting was on display. The event was a bittersweet career milestone, he said, adding that it was an honor to pay tribute through art even amid such tragedy.
He also drew a powerful parallel between Kirk’s death and the crucifixion of Christ. “A lot of the time, people don’t want to hear the truth,” Ryan said. “I think he shook a lot of demons that are hiding in the world out there, and they took him out because of that.”
Ryan added that he hopes his work moves people toward goodness, faith, and unity. “He was a human being,” Ryan said of Kirk. “He never said anything hateful or racist — not from what I ever saw. I just want people to see the humanity in this.”
The portrait will be displayed permanently at Turning Point USA headquarters. From October 17 to 19, Ryan will release a small run of limited-edition prints on his website, samryanstudio.com, each personally signed. Over 20,000 people have already joined the waitlist.
“Anything that makes people feel something is what inspires me,” Ryan said. “And I hope to just spread the good in the world and block out the bad.”