CINCINNATI — Anyone passing through Cincinnati along Liberty Street is familiar with murals.
If you pass by 124 W Liberty Street, which sits between Elm and Race streets, you'll see a new massive painting.
The mural is a collection of bright pink, orange, blue and purple colors. Two central characters wear traditional Chinese clothing.
The artist behind the three-story mural is Los Angeles-based artist Lauren YS, who is making their BLINK debut in 2024.
“This is a massively well-known festival, has a lot of respect in the scene and I’m really, really proud to be here," the artist said.
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Lauren YS told WCPO 9 they've been painting for about a decade, constantly working to refine their skills with spray paint. They said that early on they stopped brush painting, in order to focus on creating with spray paint.
Lauren YS is not only bringing their flare to the streets of Cincinnati but wants to make sure their identity shines through as well.
"I tend to work with themes of gender fluidity, gay, sexuality, homosexuality," Lauren YS said. "I do a lot of research on like Chinese history, because I'm half Chinese. And so I like to work that stuff into the murals to give a sense of cultural pride for the Asian community."
Lauren YS said the new piece of Liberty Street is called "Tongzhi," a name they say is commonly used in LGBTQ+ activisim. They said the word translates to "comrade."
Their work has become their vessel to advocate for other members of the LGBTQ+ community, with Lauren YS saing "it's just really important to represent that, as someone who's out and queer."
"How you do make sure you are in your work?" we asked Lauren YS.
"It’s something that I can’t resist honestly. I can't control it. I often end up like my work, I am my work," they said. "There's all the symbolism. The background is sort of like, reminiscent of the trans flag. There's a lot of stuff I work in visually. But, people can see whatever they want."
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There are plenty of added symbols in the mural, including a dragon, ginkgo trees and a tiger as a Cincinnati Bengals shout-out.
Lauren YS explained that the colors that the piece is made up of are intentional, offering a deeper meaning to anyone who sees it.
While the mural has a permanent spot along Liberty Street now, BLINK 2024 kicks off Thursday, Oct. 17 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 20.
READ MORE:
BLINK 2024: Road closures, transportation options and what to know before you go
BLINK Cincinnati 2024: Festival unveils map spanning more than 30 city blocks
BLINK 2024: Here's a look at the four-day festival's entertainment lineup
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