Comuna 13 is a district in Medellin Colombia which was is one of the most vibrant examples of re-birth and transformation I have ever experienced through street art. It is a span of 12 neighbourhoods winding up the side of a mountain. It was said to be one of the most dangerous places in the world from the 1980’s to around 2012. It was a war zone of drug cartels and gangs right up until a mere couple of years ago. And then something miraculous happened… The people of Medellin decided to use art as their weapon to reclaim their home. The residual is a narrative of murals that depict an emotional story of the light coming from the darkness. I humbly got to contribute my expression to that powerful story on top of that mountain with some of the original graffiti artists of that movement. Thanks to Seta Fuerte I got to realize my dream of painting my Highest Spiritual Warrior overlooking the city of Medellin. This painting is a direct extension of the one I created previously in Ctrllab for the duration of Mural Festival. Same subject, different style. It amplifies to the existing strength and power we have as humans to overcome adversity. By looking within we can achieve our dreams and beyond what we ever thought was possible.
As shown below, this is the only remaining photo that depicts what life was like in the district of Comuna 13 in it’s war stricken streets. No one was allowed to document the heinous acts which the people here faced. This photo is displayed outside of a cafe on top of Comuna 13 to show what life was once like…
In 2013 one boy named Colacho lost his life in a hail of bullets. His mother in agonizing pain wrapped his body in a white sheet and dragged his bullet ridden body through the streets screaming the word PEACE. The locals quickly adapted this symbol by waving white cloths out of their windows and screamed PEACE in unison. The next day, Colacho’s best friend a local graffiti artist named Apolo13 got up in the middle of the war and started to paint. The images transmuted the peace that the people were demanding. Other street artists took notice and also started to risk their lives by painting and performing. In 2013 right there in the war zone, the artists called in a festival for PEACE. Every graffiti artist, painter, hip hop artist, beatboxer and breakdancer came and gave everything they had to stop the war from resuming. If tourists and other outsiders came in, the war would have to be pushed out. The drug lords couldn’t have international interference. In response, 3 hip hop artists got murdered. But the artists didn’t retaliate. They grew stronger and more powerful in numbers. More artworks were born. Triumphantly, the artists won the battle for their home and freedom. The Colombian government rewarded the district with 6 escallators which brought ease to the people in their daily tasks and opened the door to outsiders to see the colourful narrative depicted from the base of the mountain all the way to the top. It was one of the most power displays of art I had ever witness in my life. The subject of the painting all commemorate the renewal, the loss and the spiritual overtones of this story.
