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Themes: environment, sustainability, women, justice

This mural created by a traveling group of muralists, Mural Mafia, portrays the beauty of the natural world and asserts a call for action in terms of environmentalism. It is graffiti art, differentiating it from the style of the traditional murals seen in Pilsen. More specifically, this mural is a blockbuster, meaning the lettering uses a block-shaped style and is larger than other types of graffiti art.

The mural depicts Mother Nature smiling while holding a globe in her hands. The globe illustrating a clouded North and South American continents replaces the letter “O” in the word “HOME” that was written in the graffiti lettering. In this mural, Mother Nature is portrayed as a black woman, which alludes to the importance of remembering environmental justice when thinking about care for the planet. Especially in Chicago where there is a recent history of redlining, the discriminatory practice of labeling neighborhoods that are typically made up of racial and ethnic minorities as hazardous, environmental racism is a prominent issue that must be addressed. Mother Nature personifies the natural world, embodying the way that nature nurtures humankind. Rendering her as a black woman emphasizes that all individuals - regardless of race - are deserving of equitable care from the environment. The mural additionally has three-dimensional aspects. Mother Nature’s hair is painted as green leaves that align with the tree growing on top of the viaduct. In the spring and summer, the leaves on the tree are going to appear to be adding more hair to her head. This element further exemplifies just how intertwined nature is with the lives of humans. Further, the fire hydrant in front of the mural is painted purple, showing that nature extends beyond the natural environment; there are human-created parts of nature and they must be cared for too.

The largest aspect of the mural is the word “HOME” written in all capital letters. It uses purple, blue, green, and yellow which are all colors highly associated with the natural world. Within the lettering are abstract depictions of plants, flowers, and landmasses, showing just how intertwined the natural environment is with humankind. The vibrance of the colors also adds an element of beauty and light directly suggesting that nature is just that - gorgeous. The word “HOME” is also written on top of a background that resembles the galaxy. This suggests that the earth, our home, is part of something larger than just its contained ecosystem, and any actions we take affect more than just the earth itself. This mural explains that the earth is our home and it is of the utmost importance to care for it.

The Mural Mafia is a group of artists who have been traveling around the United States in an attempt to paint murals in each of the 50 states. So far, they have completed murals in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Menace, one of the group members, explains that their murals are an attempt “ to put out positive messages of hope, love, and equality.” The group believes that their art is not a weapon, but rather an “artistic masterpiece” to be shared.

This description was written by Nora Mulligan, Notre Dame Class of 2024