Photo by Denae Brewer/Horizon

Murals offer life after death

By Kristina Hermann
Contributing Writer

You would never think about graffiti in a spiritual context, but in Highbridge, that is exactly the case. Graffiti artists are often commissioned by Bronx community members to create tributes in the form of murals to loved ones from the neighborhood who have become victims of untimely and often violent deaths. Unique to major urban areas like the Bronx, these walls offer a place close to home for family members, friends and neighbors to gather, share stories and heal the loss of their loved ones.

Walking down the street on Shakespeare Avenue near 167th street, a wall with bright yellow and orange block letters that says “SHORTY” stands in stark contrast to the surrounding brick buildings. The blue spray-painted wall features a large mural that has been dedicated to the memory of a familiar and loved Shakespeare Avenue resident, Elmer “Shorty” de Jesus, who fell victim to a neighborhood stabbing in 1994.

“Shorty was known and loved by everyone in the neighborhood, said Shakespeare Avenue resident, Tyson. “You could always find him at the bodega where he worked,” which is directly where the mural of him stands today. Paid for collectively by neighborhood friends and family members, Tyson claims, “giving Shorty a mural was a given. It’s a tradition. It’s a way to show your homies respect and love here.” Tyson, along with other residents, friends and family enlisted the professional muralists Tats Cru to design the project.

The roots of memorial walls can be traced to the Latino Catholic tradition of placing religious symbols such as rosaries or crosses at the site where an accident or death has occurred. Like the mural dedicated to de Jesus, these walls generally contain a striking portrait of the deceased along with religious imagery such as a portrait of the Virgin Mary, or as in de Jesus’ mural, a large image of Jesus Christ pointing to a flaming heart. Also, similar to phrases on gravestones, a memorial mural may contain words such as the ones dedicated to de Jesus that reads, “You will always be in our hearts, tus amigos de Cromwell 167.” While many feel as though memorial murals are simply just vandalism on the wall, Mr. Ramirez, a Highbridge resident said, “these walls are what make our community unique, they show that we are all connected to each other.”

It’s no surprise that a memorial designed by graffiti would be present in Highbridge. The Bronx has had a leading role in the worldwide explosion of graffiti. During the 1970’s and 80’s, kids from all over NYC and especially the Bronx, expressed themselves artistically on subway trains, walls and tunnels via the mighty spray paint can. In the Bronx particularly, kids had consistent access to four elevated subway trains that ran through their neighborhoods that constantly provided them a look at the newest trends.

Separating those who “tag-up” carelessly on walls from the graffiti artists whose goal is to beautify the neighborhood with their mural, the Bronx can proudly boast of several famous spray-can artists such as Tracy 168, Daze, Crash and Tats Cru who have left an imprint in the Bronx with their innovative styles.

Establishing their mural art as a professional full-time job was not easy for Tats Cru, which stands for (“Top Artistic Talent”). Based in Hunts Point, they are a team of professional muralists whose work with aerosol cans has transformed graffiti critics into mural-art fans. While being commissioned to produce advertisements for community-based businesses nationally, Tats Cru has completed many of the memorial murals that appear throughout NYC neighborhoods. “It’s actually a well-planned process,” NICER, Tats Cru Muralist commented on how memorials are produced.

Once permission for a mural is granted by the landlord or storeowner who owns the wall, Tats Cru goes to work. “The family brings us pictures, or images: anything to convey exactly who this person was and how they wanted to be remembered.” The murals are not cheap. can cost anywhere from $800-$2200.00 depending on the cost of supplies, the amount of time that is put into the mural, and the difficulty of the piece.

Familiar to the neighborhood, memorial walls offer a creative and spiritual voice to the way in which one pays tribute to and mourn the loss of friends, neighbors and/or loved-ones. They offer a sense of sacredness in an often-chaotic place.

Next time you are walking through the streets of Highbridge, take the time to notice the life of someone like Shorty, who played an important role to so many.