2020 Mural Project

Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood by Problak X Marka27

This mural is designed to evoke a connection between the past unjust lived experiences of Black people and People of Color and the racial inequities that continue to persist today. In the center is a raised Black fist for solidarity, surrounded by portraits of the legendary and iconic Nina Simone. To the right is a blind woman of justice meant to reflect the current state of inequality for People of Color in our justice system. To the left is a young African American child holding a star and draped in an American flag representing hope for a brighter future. The colors red, black and green throughout the mural is symbolic of African Roots. Problak says he's reminded of a powerful quote from Nina Simone: "An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times."

About the Artists

Rob "ProBlak" Gibbs is a visual artist and organizer who has transformed the cultural landscape of Boston through graffiti art since 1991. Growing up in Roxbury during the Hip-Hop Golden Age, ProBlak saw the power of graffiti as a form of self-expression. Graffiti became a tool for him, and others in his community, to chronicle and immortalize their culture and history. For ProBlak, graffiti acts as a contemporary form of hieroglyphs, a way to document and pay homage to underserved, underhead communities in the city. His vision- to beautify the predominantly black and brown communities of Boston- is a driving force behind his artistic practice. ProBlak is the co-founder of Artist For Humanity and a recipient of a number of awards, including the 2006 Graffiti Artist of the Year award from the Mass Industry Committee and the Goodnight Initiative's Civic Artist Award. In 2020, he was honored with the Hero Among Us award by the Celtics, Boston's NBA team and he was featured in a segment on NBC. His work has been covered in publications like Forbes, 90.9 WBUR, the Boston Art Review, Boston Magazine, the Bay State Banner and the Boston Globe.

Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez is an international street artist who works at the intersection of contemporary art, graffiti, vinyl toys, fashion and design. With paintings, murals, drawings, mix-media pieces and private commissions for major brands, his robust palette blends elements of street and pop culture with Mexican and indigenous aesthetics-a signature look the artist has coined "Neo Indigenous." Marka27's work has become part of graffiti and street art history, but he has flourished as a product designer, gallery artist, toy designer and more. Marka27 has emerged as one of the most sought after muralists in the world, mastering his craft since before "street art" was even a term. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY where he and his wife and creative partner, Liza, run their award-winning creative agency, "Street Theory Gallery".

No Weapon Formed Against Thee Shall Prosper

“No Weapon Formed Against Thee Shall Prosper” pays homage to victims of police brutality. Organized by Street Theory Gallery and created by artists Cey Adams, Sophia Dawson, Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez, Rob “Problak” Gibbs and Rob Stull, the mural depicts Martin Luther King Jr. with a clenched fist raised in the air and an infant George Floyd in his mother’s arms. The mural is part of Street Theory Gallery’s Murals for the Movement project, a public art program reimagining American cities as more diverse and tolerant places to live. This mural was originally commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and was located there for the Summer/Fall of 2020 and was relocated to Underground at Ink Block to join our collection.

About the Artists

Cey Adams is a Black American visual artist known for his role as a graffiti/street art/hip-hop pioneer and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings’ in-house visual design firm The Drawing Board, paints a black American flag with embedded multicultural patterns. “I created a black American flag as a way to show the anger, frustration and sometimes joy of being a Black American living in America,” Adams says. “The black flag represents the absence of color in order for the audience to focus on the subject matter. My idea was to pull the color out to make you pay attention, to stop you dead in your tracks.”

Sophia Dawson is a Brooklyn-based Black American visual artist, muralist, mother, believer and activist. She has been painting Black mothers who have lost their children due to police violence since 2012. Here she portrays a young George Floyd embraced in the arms of his mother.  “Focusing on the mothers who have lost their children,” Dawson says, “allows people to sympathize and empathize with People of Color in this country.”

Rob Stull is an accomplished illustrator, curator, teacher, designer and creator of comic books. In “No Weapons Formed Against Us…“ he incorporates Stars and Stripes in his iconic style. In addition to working through his own studio, Ink on Paper, he has worked over two decades for every major publisher in the industry, and created and curated Sequential Art: The Next Step, a first of its kind 10-year traveling exhibition spotlighting the work of African American comic book artists and their contributions to the industry and popular culture, and his work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States.  

Mexican street artist Victor "Marka27" Quiñonez is largely inspired by multicultural influences. In “No Weapon Formed Against Us Shall Prosper”, he paints a portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. beside an African American female protestor with George Floyd's plea written across her mask: "Please I can't breathe.” The message "DON'T SHOOT!" appears in several languages, as a call for global solidarity against police and criminal systems that affect Black people and POC across the world.

Rob “Problak” Gibbs is a Boston-based visual artist and organizer who has transformed the cultural landscape of Boston through graffiti art since 1991. His artistic process reflects visual storytelling informed by history, culture and community. Problak paints a woman's fist wrapped in a red, black, and green bandana, representing all women of color united in the fight for racial and social equality.

Best of Boston 2020: Best Outdoor Museum Experience

Take a stroll underneath the I-93 overpass between the South End and Southie, and you’ll discover the city’s most exhilarating art exhibit. Sprawled over 8 acres, the once-­desolate zone now features 18 murals, nine of which were added last summer. Highlighting local artists such as Silvia López Chavez, national ones like Def Jam’s founding creative director Cey Adams, and international ones including Spain’s Muro, the concrete, metal, and asphalt burst with color and forward-thinking vision.