Mural illustration for Walmart store entrance in Humacao, Puerto Rico.
This mural celebrates the spirit of Humacao, its land, its people, and its deep connection to nature and tradition. Though I have not yet visited Puerto Rico, I approached this project through careful research and a desire to understand Humacao from a local perspective, beyond the lens of tourism.
Mural size: 14x10.3 ft. Vinyl installation, created in Adobe Photoshop.
Client: Walmart | Location: Humacao, PR | Agency: Now Art, LA
The composition centers on Atabey, the Taíno Mother of Creation, as a unifying symbol of fertility, music, and beauty. Flowing around her are the landscapes and stories that define the region: the rainforest, ocean, and coastline rich with marine life, hibiscus flowers, and the beloved El Coquí frog. Taíno petroglyphs and the figure of Chief Jumacao honor the area’s ancestral roots, while the Victoria Theatre represent local arts and music.
Together, these elements create a visual narrative of continuity between past and present, land and sea, myth and community. My goal was to illustrate an image that feels alive with color and rhythm, a portrait of Humacao’s identity seen through the eyes of its people and featuring the beauty of Puerto Rico’s natural landscape.
In my creative process, a mural always begins with a story. I start by studying the client’s brief along with a photo of the wall and its dimensions, and imagining how the spirit of that place can come alive through art. My first sketch establishes a few key elements of the composition; in this case, I used Adobe Fresco’s vector brushes to create floral motifs.
Much of the vision, however, exists already in my mind and takes shape as I layer it digitally in Photoshop. For this project, the client specifically wanted the historical Victoria Theatre represented as an anchoring element. Through my research, I learned that the theater hasn’t been active in many years, though its exterior has been beautifully renovated. To bring it to life, I illustrated the actors’ figures on the building as a lively, cheering crowd, connecting history, architecture, and the vibrant energy of the community.
The project was part of the Walmart Community Mural Program, a celebration of communities across America. Inspired by the community and together with every store manager, each mural reflects the local diversity and cultural references.
