ARTIST: BENJAMIN HANVY

St. Louis-based artist Benjamin Hanvy has over 15 years of experience creating private and public art.

He is an experienced multi-media artist with a proven track record of creating successful public art projects, with work featured in various locations throughout St. Louis. In addition to his mural projects, he has written, recorded and released dozens of songs with his band, Turbo Widget. Whatever the form, Hanvy is passionate about creating art that uplifts and inspires communities and adds to the public perception that St. Louis is a wonderful place to live.

St. Louis City Unbound is more than just a mural; it’s a vision. It depicts a St. Louis from the constraints that often divide us. Here (in this mural) social and physical boundaries dissolve, replaced by a vibrant tapestry of human connection. The people within this vision aren’t confined to their neighborhoods, they’re explorers, venturing across the city to discover new experiences and forge new and interesting relationships. The unbinding is symbolized by the “blending” of colors. Fourteen distinct hues, representing the city’s newly designated fourteen wards, intermingle all over the mural, yet still retain their own unique colors. This “Colourflage: design reflects the unique personality of each ward, yet emphasizes how these individualities combine to create the rich, flavorful, “gumbo” that is St. Louis itself. The lines that might separate us – physical or imagined – blur and fade, replaced by a beautiful human experience build on on connection and understanding. St. Louis City Unbound is a call to action. It urges us to step outside our comfort zones, to cross invisible borders, and to embrace the vibrant diversity that drives our city. Just as the colors in the mural come together to create something stunning, so too can the people of St. Louis create a more beautiful and inclusive community when we break down the barriers that keep us apart.