Positioned at the intersection between major highways, Lincoln tunnel, and Javits center, the mural site serves as a symbolic gateway into New York City for travelers and New Yorkers alike.
Our proposal honors the very force which has built New York as we know it: the diverse and colorful Immigrant community.
Our proposal honors the very force which has built New York as we know it: the diverse and colorful Immigrant community.
In the mural’s foreground, fluid silhouettes dance, embrace, and hold hands. Their forms, inspired by Matisse and Malevich, capture rhythm of movement and freedom of togetherness. Behind them, a field of folkloric patterns unfolds. Drawn from Eastern European paper cutouts, they become both ornament and code—a quiet instruction for weaving community through pattern and care.
In the wake of a brutal attack on the very idea of diversity, we couldn’t help but highlight that our neighborhoods continue to shine as examples of building community and one’s own found family. We pay tribute to these qualities, which lie largely at the hands of immigrants and transplants who make up the vibrant fabric we call New York City.
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When designing Together, Maya and Karolina drew inspiration from their Eastern European heritage, particularly embroidery patterns and decorative folk arts found across their respective home countries - Russia and Poland. They were fascinated by the simple repeating motifs and visual rhythms that appear in traditional crafts.
Vernacular inspirations are paired with those from a highly influential turn-of-the-century Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, as well as the duo's artistic hero Henri Matisse.
The theme of interconnectedness felt especially meaningful, as the mural painting was done by a community effort. The artists created colorful paint-by-numbers outlines, and organized a dozen volunteers to fill in the contours over the course of two days. Maya and Karolina instructed each pair of volunteers, who showed up for 2- or 4-hour shifts, on the basics of completing a mural. The process was indeed an effort performed by a diverse group of New Yorkers.
Installed in June 2026, the mural also took on additional resonance as New Yorkers gathered around major sporting events, from the Knicks' Championship win to the World Cup. The figures could just as easily be imagined playing basketball or passing a soccer ball. Regardless of the activity, central message remains the same: our lives are richer when we come together, celebrate together, and make space for one another.
