Lynda Grafito

Lynda Grafito is a Visual Artist based in Minnesota and born in Colombia. Her linocut work is inspired by the beauty and diversity of nature, representing scenes of animals and plants from Latin America and Minnesota, from which she finds sociocultural relationships that allow her to talk about migration and environment issues. In Colombia Lynda Grafito collaborated in the drawings of two graphic novels: Cielo Rojo (2017) and Ciudad Perdida (2019) with L.E.C.H.E. Collective and she obtained her degree as a Visual Artist (2019) and a laureate mention with her project Aguablanca, un barrio de historias. Her first international group show was at the MCAD Art Sale, Migani Mirror (2019) for a graphic representation of the graphic novel Dos Aldos, by Cohete comics. She has been part of group exhibitions as The Land Within Us (2022) at Fresh Eye Gallery; Archive I: Diverged Origins (2023) at New Studio Gallery and was selected in The First Print Pachanga juried exhibition (2023) at El Paso Print Pachanga, TX. Lynda has been interested in interventions in public space, such as her participation in the Day of the Dead Parade on Lake Street, exhibiting her linocuts We Belong to the World and Lake Street Is... (2021), in Latino local businesses. She has collaborated with the community organization Copla Murals creating murals focused on community engagement such as The Ancestors (2022) at La Mexicana Supermercado on Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, Minneapolis; What a Wonderful World (2022) at House of Payne on Sims and Payne Avenue, Saint Paul and Mamitas (2023) at Centro Tyrone Guzmán, Minneapolis.

About this mural the artist writes:

The “Behind Flavors” mural celebrates the beauty and importance of pollinators for food production, and is also a reminder of the beauty and fragility of nature. The mural is a response to two questions I asked myself:

• What does the earth provide us?

• What makes it possible for us to have so many flavors in the world, and to whom do we owe it?

The mural depicts a lush scene of herbs, fruits, and pollinators painted in large scale o highlight their importance. The herbs and fruits are all ingredients used in brewing beer, including hops, wheat, lavender, rosemary, mint, cherries, blueberries, and oranges. I present them alongside some pollinators native to Minnesota, including the Yellow Jacket Wasp, the Rusty Patched Bumblebee (which is endangered), the Ladybug, and the Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly. Although these pollinators are not the actual pollinators of these herbs and fruits, I painted them together to represent the specific place where both share space at the brewing: Minnesota.

I wanted to create a mural that would be both visually appealing and thought-provoking. I wanted to draw attention to the importance of pollinators for our food supply, and also remind people of the beauty of nature and the importance of protecting it. The mural is a reminder that pollinators are essential for our well-being. They are a vital part of the ecosystem, and their decline is a threat to our food supply and the environment.

Thank you to Thomasina TopBear for being my guide and companion in the creationof this mural, and for the collaboration and support of Nick Jumping Eagle and Nicolás Castillo, who made this project possible in 5 days!

I also want to greatly appreciate the support of the DCBC team and to the Chroma Zone Festival for this incredible opportunity.

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@Lyndagrafito