Murals Inspired by Los Angeles' Natural Beauty and the Vision of Young Writers Debut In Terminals 7 and 8

June 12, 2019

As summer travel season takes off, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), announces two new site-specific mural installations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The murals can be found in Terminal 7 and the connection between Terminals 7 and 8.

“Los Angeles World Airports is creating dynamic and thought-provoking public spaces at LAX by showcasing Los Angeles’ vibrant contemporary art scene and creating a unique sense of place at the airport,” said Sarah Cifarelli, Director of LAX’s Art Program. “We are excited about these collaborations with talented local artists who are bringing their fresh voices to our art program.”

“Intentions” by Tofer Chin

In Terminal 7, Tofer Chin’s new mural, “Intentions,” greets departing airport guests at the United Airlines ticketing lobby. Through the use of form, color and scale, “Intentions” encourages viewers to reflect on one’s physical surroundings, as well as one’s inner emotional state. Chin’s mural is on view for the public through September 2019.

Chin’s mural features an abstract urban landscape of bold shapes and a spare paint palette of white, black and bright apricot. The shapes emulate shadows of buildings, and the glow of the apricot color is reminiscent of Los Angeles’ vivid sunsets. For Chin, who was born and raised in this city, the spirit of Los Angeles shifts at sunset as the metropolis’ iconic atmospheric light changes and becomes filled with deep oranges and pinks.

“For many, these dramatic sunsets can produce a feeling of euphoric inspiration, an energy I strive to celebrate as a symbol of what drives the dreamers and doers of Los Angeles,” Chin said.

This site-specific mural reminds airport guests of the city’s vast possibilities by encouraging them to reflect on the moments when they can pause and connect with their surroundings before continuing on with their day. Most recently, to celebrate the inaugural Los Angeles edition of Frieze Art Fair, Chin was commissioned to produce a mural for the Standard Hotel in Downtown L.A., that has a similar aesthetic to the mural that currently greets Terminal 7 guests.

“Songs of Freedom: Renée Fox + WriteGirl”

Displayed in the corridor connecting Terminals 7 and 8, Renée Fox’s 200-foot-long intricate mural, titled “Songs of Freedom: Renée Fox + WriteGirl,” pairs delicate graphite drawings of different species of local and regional birds with poetry by young writers mentored by the nonprofit organization, WriteGirl.

This stunning mural collaboration was curated by Elizabeta Betinski and is on view for ticketed guests through early February 2020. WriteGirl is a creative writing and mentoring association that promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls.

The exhibition’s premise is based on the concept of call-and-response: a form of communication in which the speaker’s “calls” are punctuated by the responses of the listeners. After viewing Fox’s art, 27 girls wrote haikus inspired by the artist’s detailed drawings of birds in motion. The 36 haikus are interspersed throughout the hallway along with Fox’s 34 large-scale, meticulously hand-drawn birds placed against colorful painted streamers.

Fox shared, “I am inspired by nature and was excited my artwork would be the focus of the girls’ poetry. I chose to feature birds in the mural as I thought they would be a poignant symbol of flight, travel, and freedom for young people to consider.”

“Songs of Freedom: Renée Fox + WriteGirl” is a continuous and expanding circle. The young poets’ haikus are written in response to the “call” of the artist’s mural, but they are just as much “calls” within themselves – issued to all who move through the transient space of the airport terminal.