Atlanta’s Vibrant Mural Art: A Tribute to Black Artists
The vibrant murals of Atlanta do more than just add a splash of color to the urban landscape. These intricate works, many created by black artists, are vibrant statements of culture, protest, and celebration, transforming public spaces into open-air galleries. This feature pays homage to the gifted black artists who have made their mark on the city.
Muhammad Yungai’s “New Kids on the Block”
One of the most poignant works in Atlanta is Muhammad Yungai’s “New Kids on the Block”. Created in 2019 for the Super Bowl, this mural focuses on an issue of considerable concern within the Black community — gentrification. Derived from Norman Rockwell’s ‘New Kids in the Neighborhood’ painting (1967), this piece portrays a black family moving into a suburban neighborhood and raises important questions about displacement, race, and community.
Yungai’s research on gentrification inspired him to create a piece that challenges the viewer while provoking thought and conversation. Interestingly, the “Vine City Movers” truck in the mural refers to Vine City, a historically Black neighborhood close to where Yungai’s children grew up, facing significant gentrification issues.
Armondo Monoletti’s Tribute to Takeoff
When Takeoff, a member of the popular hip-hop trio Migos, was tragically killed in 2022, artist Armondo Monoletti, also known as Ape, paid tribute to the late rapper with a mural along the Atlanta BeltLine. The mural quickly became a place of pilgrimage for fans and Takeoff’s family members, who reached out to Monoletti to express their gratitude for his work.
The mural portrays the late rapper in a blend of brilliant blues, whites, and browns — an image of Takeoff smiling with a halo around his head. Monoletti views his mural as a way to honor Takeoff and His contribution to Atlanta’s music scene. He expresses his hope that the mural helps ensure Takeoff’s legacy is never forgotten.
Chanell Angeli’s “Red Bull Bloom”
Chanell Angeli’s latest piece, “Red Bull Bloom,” is another stunning addition to Atlanta’s mural art, created in anticipation of The Red Bull Dance Your Style National Finals. Located on Edgewood, the mural features two black girls dancing amid a meadow of flowers — an image that perfectly fits the event it celebrates.
Angeli’s journey as an artist is deeply intertwined with her Atlanta roots. This mural reflects her mixed media and 3D design skills, adding texture and depth to the culture of Atlanta’s streets. With Angeli’s art continuing to garner attention, she stands out as one of Atlanta’s rising artists raising the banner of black creativity in the city.
Atlanta’s mural art adds another dimension to the city’s cultural pulse, keeping pressing issues like gentrification alive in public discourse while celebrating the achievements of the city’s daughters and sons like Takeoff. With artists like Muhammad Yungai, Armondo Monoletti, and Chanell Angeli at the frontline, the city’s vibrant mural scene continues to evolve, ensuring that the voice of the Black community is not only heard but seen, felt, and remembered by all who roam Atlanta’s streets.
