Autonomous Garden Mural Day 1

Our first blog post highlights our most recent project, a mural on the bed of an autonomous garden of native plants constructed in Crown Heights. 

The garden was built by Crown Heights based artist and activist Cody Israel in collaboration with G-REBELS. 

Cody is a queer, Black, Queens-born Caribbean multidisciplinary artist whose work is based in themes of policing, resistance and agency of Black people in the West. They constructed this garden in a previously unused plot of dirt on the sidewalk of their plot, transforming it into a garden filled with wildflower seeds, low shade pollinators and a juneberry tree. A triumph of local organizing and community building, the reclaimed wood that comprises the tree bed was contributed by Cody’s neighbors. 

The design for the mural, conceptualized by Cody and their collaborators, will depict a hibiscus flower and an olive tree interlocking. These are the native plants to Haiti and Palestine respectively, and the symbolism references the interconnectedness of ecological struggle in both places. 

The mural is being painted by James Fils-Aimè, an artist born and raised in East New York now residing in Bed-Stuy. James’ work includes painting, woodworking and sculpture. 

The background layer of the mural has been completed; a cool gray background to emphasize the vibrant greens and pinks of the plants, which will be wrapped around the planter like a garland.