Vancouver artists are bringing Black visibility back to the city

At the back of a brick building, there is a portrait of a Black huntress perched on a cloud. With her bow drawn, she boldly looks to the sky, as her hair flows behind her.

The mural, filled with soft hues reminiscent of a sunset, was painted by Rachel Achus, a Nigerian Canadian artist.

"The name of my piece is called Maifaunta Mata. I wanted to name it something that was closely tied to my culture and the language. The painting basically encompasses Black female empowerment," she said.

Achus' painting is part of mural project, aimed at reclaiming and restoring Black visibility in the city's eastside.

"It's called the Black Strathcona Resurgence Project. It was linked to the Vancouver Mural Festival, but is now growing and hopefully expanding."

The artwork can be found on walls, down alleys, near bridges and even on community planters. All of them painted by a different Black artists and located in a place known as Hogan's Alley. Historically, the area was once home to much of B.C's Black population.

"Black visibility is important. Not just that Black bodies existed in this city, but that Black ingenuity being celebrated," said the project's independent curator, Krystal Paraboo.

Krystal Paraboo, independent curator of Black Strathcona Resurgence Project, walks past a mural in Vancouver.

According to city archives, the origins of Hogan's Alley date back to 1915. What started as a small community, mostly populated by Black porters working on the nearby railways, eventually grew into a vibrant neighbourhood filled with shops and restaurants.

However, in the 1960s, things began to drastically change. In its pursuit to modernize community roadways, the City of Vancouver expropriated and demolished most homes in the area.

The move not only displaced hundreds of people, but spelled the end of the bustling Black neighbourhood.

Paraboo says rooting the project in Hogan's Alley is not only a nod to history, but an intentional act to draw attention to the erasure of Black people.

"So for me, these murals force people to kind of resonate with these stories," she said. "Part of the plan is to contribute to the renaissance and rebirth of Hogan's Alley, for Black people to kind of reclaim that hub and continue to build community."

The Beautiful Meme mural can be seen in Vancouver.

The artists involved in the project all come from different art backgrounds. Some are seasoned muralist, while others are new to the city's art scene.

A piece called, The Beautiful Meme, celebrates the Jamaican culture of artist Joslyn Reid.

Another one, dubbed, Kindred Sunsets, was created by Odera Igbokwe and is meant to evoke feelings of peace and calm.

A mural celebrating Canadians with Chinese heritage can be seen in Vancouver.

There is also a mural, filled with lanterns and portraits of Canadians of Chinese heritage. When developing the project, Paragoo wanted to show solidarity with other communities that used to live around Hogan's Alley.

"We wanted to honour the fact that Hogan's Alley intersects with Chinatown," she said. "We also recognize that we are ultimately on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.”

Eleven artists have worked on the project so far, but Paraboo's plan is to expand and invite more to participate.

As for Achus, she would like to see the murals move into other neighbourhoods around Vancouver.

"I would like to see our work everywhere, not just here," she said. "It is very important that our existence and our art be highlighted in all areas."

Both Achus and Paraboo believe by showcasing and celebrating Black talent you can better create a more inclusive city.