Shanghai Tunnel Bar
Portland, Oregon
The owner at Shanghai Tunnel Bar came to us not long after George Floyd's death, when protests were moving through cities across the country including Portland. He wanted to hand over wall space to a BIPOC artist and let them use it however they saw fit. We were already working to find walls around the city for artists of color to speak on, so the timing lined up.
We brought in an artist who had already painted several activist murals around Portland under the banner of Black Power. For this one, he built a geometric pattern out of African textile designs, working in colors pulled straight from the bar's own branding so the piece felt like it belonged there rather than sitting on top of it. He called the finished work "Stairwell to Orisha," named for the deities of the Yoruba religion in West Africa, and the vibrant, angular shapes carry that same warmth. The piece stands as a celebration of Black culture and a platform for the artist's own voice, exactly what the owner had asked for.
This mural became part of the Together We Grow Community Art Project, one more wall in Portland now speaking on behalf of a community that deserved the space.
Want to have a mural that makes a statement? Kali Grey can curate the right artist, shape the project with you, and manage everything from concept to installation. Reach out and let's talk about what your space could hold.