2021. Curaçao.

Unda bo ta

“Always believe in
the spirits who guide you in finding
your true reality”

co-created with Darrick Marchena, FOOL The Artist

The fairytale-like mural "Unda Bo Ta" wasn't created overnight. Darrick contacted me to collaborate, and I wasn't sure what he wanted. Did he want me to document his work? Make a video? "No, a mural," he said. Ok. "But I'm not a good drawer," I said. Good start. I explained my visual world, filled with fairies, mythical creatures, and soft colors. It's not easy for everyone to understand or relate to. I felt trapped in my own world, unable to fully express myself.

I also wanted to create something for Curaçao that aligned with my dream world. Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas) appeared in my mind and stuck with me. This was just the start.

Finding myths and fairytales from Curaçao was difficult. We learned from a person at NAAM about the guiding lights during slavery, where slaves communicated with their ancestors. The lights are messages from spirits in the afterlife.

Inspired by a poem with the quote "Hunta Realidat I Fantasia," my dream world included white flowers representing the Italian saint Heilige Clara. This symbolized order and clarity, reflecting the idea of self-care, a local book describing her as “Awa Kla” - clear water.

The poem ‘Unda Bo Ta’ also crossed our eyes which I read as “where are you in life, who do you want to be”, but I didn’t want the message to become too hip or too shallow.

Then, a deer appeared in one of our national parks symbolizing a connection to the supernatural in our story.

Darrick visualized all of the above in one day, and after some adjustments and typography tweaks, he finished the mural in three weeks.