LOCAL ARTIST DEBUTS
‘Welcome to Astoria’ mural
18 DECEMBER 2 0 2 1 EXPLORE YOUR BORO
BY KAYLA WONG
A new mural from Astoria-based artist Zeehan Wazed sends
its greeting to residents and visitors alike in a vibrant display
of spray paint and brushwork.
“Welcome to Astoria”
stretches across a
175-foot wall on
the P.C. Richards
and Son building
at 35-18 Steinway
St. It features iconic
Astoria landmarks, the neighborhood’s
diverse multicultural communities and
its connection to the film industry.
The colorful work was done in Wazed’s
signature style, a combination of
street art and fine art abstraction.
Because of the lack of art in Jamaica,
Queens, where he grew up, Wazed
was initially exposed to art through the
hip-hop dance community. At the time,
dance competitions and video shoots
were held at 5Pointz, a mecca of street
art and graffiti in New York City.
“5Pointz was really quintessential to
exposing me to art,” he said. “There
still isn't much street art or art in Jamaica,
Queens, or most of Queens,
so I'm excited to be working with developers
who want to bring art to the
neighborhood.”
The mural was commissioned by
Kaufman Astoria Studios and Innovation
QNS as a mass endeavor to bring more
arts and culture to the neighborhood.
With such a diverse area, Wazed wanted
to make sure every demographic
was not only included but shown as interconnected.
Rather than painting on
different flags, the idea was to borrow
colors from different flags and create
something that could have been a flag
for Astoria, stretched across 200 feet.
The colors were also reminiscent of the
vibrant color palette of the restaurants
and fresh fruit markets around Astoria.
“When you're creating something in
a public space, you have a responsibility
to accommodate or complement the
people who live there,” said Wazed,
who has lived in Astoria for five years.
“They're the ones walking by, so I put a
lot of thought into curating the content
of this mural as an ode to Astoria.”
The mural is also chock-full of details
pulling from Astoria’s rich history, from
a film roll representing its history of
film production to piano keys showcasing
its connection to the piano
maker Steinway & Sons.
But whether visitors understand
the context of it or just appreciate
the aesthetic, Wazed wanted to create
a mural for people on either end.
Since its debut, the community has
really embraced the mural as a celebration
of the neighborhood.
“I met so many people who live
on the block who say thank you and
who are absolutely grateful for it,”