This mural was created as part of the 3rd annual Living Walls Abroad exchange program between Atlanta, Georgia and Cuidad Satélite, Mexico. Atlanta artist Jasmine Nicole Williams and Mexican artist Daniel Villela collaborated on this mural to explore the ways in which their cultural history and celebration can be interpreted in modern monuments. 

Jasmine Nicole Williams is a Black American visual artist and organizer from Atlanta, GA. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Art in Printmaking from the University of West Georgia in 2017. Her work explores her southern, black, and femme identities through printmaking and murals to inspire people to dive deeper into their humanity. Influenced by the work of artists like Elizabeth Catlett and Emory Douglas, Jasmine believes in the transformative power of portraiture, print, and public art.

“Freedom is within yourself. Liberation is freedom for all.”
— Jasmine Nicole Williams

Daniel Villela is an artist originally from Cuidad Satélite who has been living and working in Oaxaca, Mexico for the past decade. During his time in Oaxaca, he learned traditional textile and printmaking techniques with artisanal roots. His recent work combines contemporary and traditional techniques in the development of canvases, wearables, and large-scale works. With this exploration, he has developed an obsession with patterns in maps and the concept of identity in place.

“La melancolía tratando de liberarse ante un mundo digital.”
— Daniel Villela

Villela, who works primarily with textiles and patterns, speaks to the possibilities of liberation present in the cultural concoction of our city, shown through a mixture of African and Mayan patterns. Williams, who works primarily in printmaking and community activism, used her signature style to create a portrait of  Elizbeth Catlett in her old age, mirroring the mural they created in Mexico surrounding a younger Catlett. Catlett was an American printmaker who found her voice when she moved to Mexico City in the 50s. Her dominating portrait serves as a reminder to liberate through your unique identity as we navigate our modern digital world.
Site Manager Angela Bortone
Assistant Homero Fernández Segura
Photo & Video Nicole Hernandez

Special thanks to SATÉLITE M17, Underground Atlanta, Atlanta Fashion Week, and United Rentals for their support.