By Rebecca Sirull, Inside Editor

Summer semester is upon us, and with it, a fresh new makeover for the wall outside the Columbus parking lot. Filled with vibrant colors and whimsical lines, the eye-catching mural is the product of a week’s worth of work by artist-in-residence Daniel Anguilu.

His distinctive style has not only brightened up an area of campus, but also carries a greater significance for both the artist and his audience. Anguilu explained how he drew inspiration from the recent death of novelist Gabriel García Márquez, and how he used the mural as a way to both commemorate Márquez and spread awareness of the importance of art.

“There’s a lot going on about how to introduce [Márquez’s] work in a contemporary way,” Anguilu said. “It’s also to preserve his memory and appreciation for his work. Eventually, it might catch on and it should catch on around the campus of what this mural is about and people will begin to understand, not just my work, but the importance of other artists, celebrating the life of influential people in their lives, and I think that’s what public art can do. It can be educational.”

Anguilu was chosen from over 50 muralists from around the world by a committee of administrators organized by President Aoun. After reviewing photos of the artists and speaking to Anguilu on the phone about his process, the group came to a unanimous decision that he was the right choice, said Clare Horn, a member of the committee and Northeastern’s associate director of marketing.

“The feedback has been immensely positive—both during the process of installing the mural and after it was completed,” said Horn in an e-mail. “It brings to life what was a fairly bleak, yet high-traffic, space. We’ve heard many people say simply that it makes them happy when they see it.”

Many of Anguilu’s other pieces have also been created with a specific message in mind. He draws inspiration from current events, music and what he’s read, as well as his own personal life experiences.

“Right now I’m focusing on understanding more what’s going on with privacy and the approach that the states or that several countries have taken to censor anyone that they can,” Anguilu said. “Lately I’ve been reading a lot about people who have been imprisoned or who are on the run for revealing secrets about the government, like Chelsea Manning and Ed Snowden.”

However, Anguilu was not always interested in using his art as a means of communicating certain ideas. After moving from his native Mexico City to Houston at age 14, Anguilu began creating graffiti art as a hobby. He and his friends would paint on any available space, from walls to freight trains, and experiment with various types of paint and can pressures to attain the optimum image quality.

Since then, he has traveled all around the world to paint, including Columbia, Turkey, Nicaragua, Peru, Italy, Spain and France. Whether he is participating in a festival or collaborating with other artists on a project, Anguilu says he always knew he wanted to paint and never considered an alternative career.

“I just hope to be able to keep art well and alive for the rest of my life,” Anguilu said. “I’m not quite sure what people consider today successful or not successful. As long as I’m creating, that will be something I’ll look forward to.”

He also recognizes that his art has changed as he has grown older, gained more experience and honed in on more definitive goals.

“The new work that I’m doing is really a powerful one,” Anguilu said. “[My old work] didn’t really accomplish anything. I wasn’t really respectful and for the purpose of the space, it was like am I really doing what I think is necessary for the growth of this art form? It just became more responsibility.”

Be on the lookout for more pieces like this one as Northeastern continues its public art initiative, which will bring the work of students, faculty and other international guests to areas all around campus.

Photo by Rebecca Sirull.