YumaYork.NYC, The Seaport, NYC 2024

Artist Bio: YumaYork.NYC is an illustration and Graphic design studio run by Rene Clairin from his studio in Washington Heights, NY.

Artist Statement: We work primarily with digital tools, so YANA extending us the invite to paint our first mural was a pretty amazing opportunity! By combining illustration with the pigeon character and graphic design with the fake MTA posters, we were able to tackle this new challenge in a way that felt familiar. It definitely would have been a difficult if not for the support of the incredible artists and organizers we worked shoulder to shoulder with! We were surprised to see how seamlessly our skills translated to a large canvas; this motivated us to take on a challenge and not just shrug it off because it may be overwhelming or unfamiliar. 

With the piece depicting an MTA worker just doing his job and him being a pigeon, the goal was to remind us NYers that there are kind, good people all around us that we may be taking for granted. If you’re feeling alone, just strike up a conversation; take a moment to meditate on who has been there for you in your time of need; observe the random acts of kindness that happen all around us in the city. You might be surprised to find a neighbor to lean on in the least likely of places. 

And if anything, you’re definitely not alone in your frustrations when there’s a random service change on your commute. Saluda a tu vecino. Be Buena Gente. 

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