Created for Local Brown Baby on Logan Avenue in Barrio Logan, San Diego, this mural brings together the Mexican and Kurdish roots of its founder, Jiyan. Her story became the starting point for an original digital illustration, which I then brought to life as a mural. With a Zapatista woman on the left and a Kurdish revolutionary woman on the right, the artwork holds two cultures together while giving each its own presence.
Created for Local Brown Baby
For Jiyan, Local Brown Baby is a space where culture, storytelling, family, and liberation come together. Creating this mural meant translating a deeply personal story into artwork that could become part of her space and part of the neighborhood around it.
Special Thanks to those involved in the project: Josh Masten, Jose Coli, Glara Jiyan, Rafa Rios, Israel
Two Cultures, One Story
The Women in the Artwork
A Zapatista woman and a Kurdish revolutionary woman stand on opposite sides of the artwork. They bring Jiyan’s Mexican and Kurdish heritage into the same space, connecting the mural to the roots behind Local Brown Baby.
Their presence gives the piece its starting point: two distinct identities, both belonging to one story.
From Digital Artwork to Mural
I first created the design as a digital illustration, bringing the figures and individual elements together into one composition. From there, I translated the artwork onto the wall.
Taking a drawing beyond the screen and into a physical space gives it another life. Here, it became part of Local Brown Baby’s home on Logan Avenue.
Behind the Scenes
A look at the work between the original illustration and the finished mural. Building the composition, transferring the design, and bringing each element to life, one step at a time.
