Lower East Side New York Mural
New York, NY 2013
Size 30 ft x 90 ft
This commissioned mural was created for REAL New York Real Estate Company for one of their luxury buildings, intended for the private owners of the space. Located in the common area, the mural was designed to portray the vibrant Lower East Side scene. The company requested something fun and colorful, and after approving my initial sketch, they granted me creative freedom to add special elements as I worked.
Living in the Lower East Side at the time, I often strolled through its streets, pausing for coffee and soaking in the atmosphere. I chose one of these specific streets as the backdrop for the mural, using photographs I had taken during my walks. I meticulously included the exact shops, street signs, and even some of the people I had observed. The building owner also requested that I incorporate his car into the mural, so I depicted it driving down the street.
An additional challenge was an unsightly section on the right side of the mural with numerous hanging wires that had to remain. To camouflage them, I painted a tree and added a bench with two lovers sitting beneath it. As a final touch, I included a self-portrait of myself signing the mural.
The project took two weeks to complete, with some late-night sessions to accommodate site access. One night, as I arrived to work, I noticed some activity next door. The following morning, I discovered a crowd gathered around a new Banksy piece in the abandoned lot between the buildings. While his work was publicly visible from the street, my mural remained a hidden gem, accessible only to those with a key to the building. Despite this, it brought me immense pride to know that I was painting a mural simultaneously with Banksy.
I am proud of my work and grateful for the experience. The clients were overjoyed with the detailed craftsmanship and effort I poured into the mural. My only wish is that my artwork could have been publicly viewed alongside Banksy's, but the satisfaction and pride I felt from this project remain unparalleled.
